First ever MMT centre in NE launched at RIMS
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, April 14 2012: For the first time in North East India, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Regional Office for South Asia and the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have jointly launched a Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) at RIMS today.

The Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) centre at RIMS was inaugurated by MLA, I Hemochandra during a function at the Psychiatry Department of RIMS.

Speaking on the occasion, Hemochandra said that launching of MMT would help people of the state, especially the youth, who are drug users to break their drug habits by undergoing drug dependence treatment and care services implemented through MMT.

This would be a big help to them.

Delivering the key note address, Cristina Albertin, member, UNODC said that MMT would not only cure injecting drug users but any type of drug abuser, who can be treated to stop using drugs with the help of MMT.

Methadone treatment is being launched for the first time in North East India at RIMS, Imphal, after being successfully implemented at the Civil Hospitals in Kapurthala and Bathinda in Punjab and the King Edward Medical College in Mumbai, while the launching at National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi is to follow soon, she added.

She further informed that Methadone is reported to be the most extensively used medication for long term treatment of those dependent on Opioid drugs.

Extensive research in many countries in America, Australia, Europe and Asia has shown that MMT significantly reduces drug use, HIV, Hepatitis B & C transmission among the drug users.

This treatment also provides them with an opportunity to restore the balance in the psychological, social and occupational spheres of their lives and assists in their rehabilitation and reintegration into the society.

Word wide, approximately 70 countries employ oral substitution therapy for Opioid users, of which 48 use methadone treatment.

However, Buprenorphine, another long term medicine is being administered to drug users in India including Manipur.

The availability of Methadone will add to the available options for treatment of Opioid dependence.

The function was presided by Prof S Sekharjit, Director, RIMS.

Dr Shauilash Kumar Chaurasia, Project Director, MACS; Dr Sumant, Commissioner, Excise, Government of Manipur; RK Sahoo, Zonal Director, Eastern Zonal Unit Narcotics Control Bureau and Dr H Shanti, Medical Superintendent, RIMS were also present in the function as Guests of Honour.

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