EPI-pens will not be available in City of Windsor owned properties anytime soon.
Council voted against a one-year pilot project that proposed providing the staff at the Forest Glade Community Centre with the medication and training to administer it. The majority of council voted against the proposal due to issues of safety and liability.
Shiva Koushik has been trying to implement this program in hopes of making this potential life saving equipment more accessible.
"The one-year run of the project would give us a lot more information and a lot more factual data on which we could provide a final decision on whether we should provide the kits," says Koushik.
He believes most people would take the risk in order to save a life.
Dr. Paul Bradford, medical director for local paramedics, says in 2016 there were 36 calls to 911 last year for severe allergic reactions. An EPI-pen was administered during 20 of those calls. He sees the benefit of having the EPI-pens on hand, but says he understands the challenges from the city's point of view.
"Our legislation prohibits us in some ways, and the medical and legal risks prohibits us in some ways but I think we still have to be bold and try things and explore that," says Bradford.
