Controversial bill limiting mobile medical services in Kensington creates heated debate in City Council
Protests, supporters turn out over City Council bill limiting mobile medical services in Kensington
A controversial City Council bill has passed to limit mobile medical and outreach services in Kensington.
CENTER CITY - Philadelphia has passed a bill placing limits on the treatment of opioid users in the troubled Kensington section of the city.
Big picture view:
On the 4th Floor of City Hall, elementary school students from Kensington stood with signs just outside City Council Chambers. They are there in support of a controversial bill to limit where and when treatment is provided to the addicted on the streets where they live.
Andrikson De Leon is in the fifth grade. He said, "Yes, I do see them around the corner store and the school. Basically, I see they live there, and I feel bad for them."
The students, from the Gloria Casarez School, snapped a picture with City Council Member Quetcy Lozada, the sponsor of the bill, who argues it protects the residents of Kensington.
She told FOX 29, "I think we’re doing the right thing. We heard from children what they see every day impacts their mental health. They need to be able to learn, to grow in their own community. We have to do something different."
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What we know:
Under the legislation, mobile providers treating opioid use, offering HIV testing and related treatments are limited to a city lot near a building along the 200 block of East Lehigh. Similar services will be allowed near the epicenter of the opioid epidemic, Kensington Avenue and F Street, but only during the hours of 11 at night until 6 in the morning.
What they're saying:
Carmen Ortiz is a resident of the Kensington area. She said, during public testimony, "No one should feel fear or discomfort in the place they call home."
The legislation drew heated opposition from those who claim the bill would deny care to those suffering with addiction.
In council, supporters waved signs depicting the conditions on the streets of Kensington, as Lozada prepared for heated debate. Lozada was asked what she expected to hear from the opposition. She said, "The same thing I heard last week - they don’t want us to change anything and that’s not acceptable."
The vote:
In the end, the vote wasn’t close with just three members voting against.