The number of emergency room visits for opioid related overdoses is on the rise in Ottawa. 

New data contained in a report for Ottawa's Board of Health shows hospital visits related to overdoses have increased. There were 258 visits in 2016 compared to 387 in 2017.

Ottawa Public Health attributes that jump to greater awareness as well as a growing opioid crisis. 

"Pretty much everything that is taken illicit is probably cut with fentanyl, which really increases your chance of overdose and we have really pushed the message to call 911," said Andrew Hendriks, a director with Ottawa Public Health. 

"An overdose is a medical emergency. But we also know that with the drug supply being cut with fentanyl that there is more overdoses taken place and more emergency room visits because of that as well," he added.

There are currently two supervised injection sites open in Ottawa: one is run by OPH at 179 Clarence and the other is run by Ottawa Inner City Health outside the Shepherds of Good Hope. 

The so-called trailer at the Shepherds of Good Hope sees up to 175 visitors per day, while OPH's much smaller site sees about 25 visits per day. 

"It allows the nurse and the client to have a discussion about how to reduce the risks associated with using the drugs, and they can also referring clients to other services," Hendriks said. 

OPH's clinic has helped about 174 clients since it opened two injection booths at the end of September and with demand growing, it is now lobbying the board of health and the city for a permanent facility. It costs approximately $75,000 a month to run, and was built as a temporary site to deal with a cluster of overdoses this Summer. 

The trailer run by Inner City Health is also seeing a spike in demand and is also seeking additional funding to grow its operation beyond the eight injection booths currently available to clients. 

'It's been far busier than we first imagined," said Ann Marie Hawkins, a Supervisor at Inner City Health. "When we first opened we thought we'd see maybe 50 to 75 people a day, but we are now putting through closer to 150 to 175 people a day through the small trailer."

The board of health will look at OPH's proposal on Monday.