‘Stronger regulations’ coming, says province after death at Surrey rehab centre
Posted May 31, 2019 3:50 pm.
Last Updated May 31, 2019 4:01 pm.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) – BC’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions says she’s “heartbroken” to hear the story of a mother, who claims her son died in “filthy” conditions at a privately-run drug rehab facility in Surrey.
Maggie Plett demanded greater oversight of recovery centres across the province after her son, Zach Plett, died of a fentanyl overdose and nobody noticed for hours.
“We have a lot of really good recovery home operators out there and we have a few very bad apples,” Minister-in-charge Judy Darcy said. “And that’s why we are working very hard on stronger recovery regulations and stronger enforcement.”
RELATED: Mother demands accountability after son dies at Surrey rehab centre
Recovery houses must be registered with the provincial government through the Assisted Living Registry (ALR), which sets safety and service level guidelines.
Registered homes receive $30.90 per resident daily through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. The Step By Step facility was registered under the ALR.
The 21-year-old had only been living at the facility for two days. Plett said the coroner estimated Zach died between 9 a.m. and noon, but his body wasn’t found until 4 p.m.
“We’re trying to make up for lost time over the past many, many years since the scandal started to break. But I would expect that we will have new, stronger regulations and enforcement in place by the end of the year,” Darcy added.
Five years ago, the City of Surrey cracked down on recovery homes and capped the number of facilities allowed at 55. The city worked with clients at facilities that were forced to close to try and find alternative living spaces for them, according to Marosevich.
There have been about eight deaths in registered private treatment or unregistered facilities since 2015, according to the BC Coroner.
