An almost unanimous US Senate has passed a package of measures to deal with opioid abuse. A day after that, on Friday, the Obama administration released $94 million in funding for treatment centers across the country, including $1.8 million for Pennsylvania.

But, the Pittsburgh region has been left out of the federal funding. It is the place where heroin-related deaths have been skyrocketing.

As per a latest study conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Allegheny County is at second position, following Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, in the number of heroin overdoses.

According to OverdoseFreePA, nearly 217 people in the county have lost their lives after using heroin in 2015, up from 157 a year earlier. OverdoseFreePA is a coalition of Pennsylvania communities and organizations that advocate for addiction recovery and drug abuse prevention. Last year, 56 people died of heroin overdoses, up from 36 the year before, in Westmoreland County.

The Friday’s announcement of funding is meant for many treatment centers. As per the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), each will receive between $325,000 and $380,000.

Jonathan Gold, HHS spokesman, said that the funding awards have been made on a competitive basis. Mr. Gold said that the nation’s all 1,300 health centers were encouraged to apply. He refused to make any comment regarding if any health centers in southwestern Pennsylvania have applied or not.

Mr. Gold mentioned that Pittsburgh already possesses many treatment centers that get federal funding.

Jim Macrae, acting administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, said, “Health centers treat some of the most at-risk patients in the country. These awards position health centers to be at the forefront of the fight against opioid abuse in underserved communities”.