CoNE moots legal action
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 09 2014:
The Community Network for Empowerment (CoNE) has threatened to take up legal action against the Health Minister in case the 19 Government approved Oral Substitution Therapy (OST) centres are not made operational by February 28 .
Speaking to media persons at CoNE office today, AMBA president Khaidem Mani and HRA director Babloo Loitongbam said that the State Government has not only approved establishment of 19 OST sites but also made budgetary allocation for the same.
Out of the 19 approved OST sites, one has been already opened at Senapati district hospital.
By keeping in abeyance the remaining 18 OST sites, the State Government has been directly challenging the right to life of more than 300 injecting drug users.
According to data compiled by the Manipur State AIDS Control Society, the total number of drug users in Manipur is 22,210.This figure of injecting drug users requires 34 OST sites as per NACO guidelines.
Although the total requirement is 34, the State Government approved 19 OST sites in the first phase.
It was none other than Chief Minister O Ibobi who made a public declaration on December 1, 2011 to open 19 OST sites.
But only one site has been opened till date, said CoNE president RK Nolinikanta.
For opening and running the 19 OST sites, the State Government even made annual budgetary allocation of Rs 23 lakh.
Once OST sites are opened, the required medicines would be provided by NACO while the State Government should arrange and pay for the requisite staff.
It is crucial to make all the 19 approved OST sites operational either through Government hospitals or NGOs at the earliest, said Nolinikanta.
CoNE has been asking the State Government to make the approved OST sites operational since the past two years.
A number of applications have been submitted to both MSACS and the Health Minister.
Even the NHRC was apprised about the matter.
He urged the State Government to open the remaining 18 OST sites by February 28.In case no positive response is received to the appeal, necessary legal action would be initiated, said Khaidem Mani.
In the absence of OST sites, IDU's have been enduring a lot of difficulties including wastage of time and money in searching drugs, indulgence in unlawful activities in their quest for money needed for purchasing drugs and withdrawal symptoms when the drugs are unavailable.
OST has been already accepted as one of the most effective programmes for addressing these woes and also for checking HIV transmission.
OST centres are aimed at substituting illegal drugs with legal ones prescribed by qualified medical practitioners in addition to giving regular medical care to IDUs.
The same programme is listed in the 6th position of India's UN Millennium Development Programme which should be achieved by 2015 .
But in Manipur even the approved OST centres have not been opened although it is already 2014, Nolinikanta decried.