Ukhrul bestowed with OST Centre
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 28 2015 :
As part of its initiative to strengthen the Opioid Substitution Therapy programme in the State, Manipur State AIDS Control Society opened an OST centre at Ukhrul District Hospital today.
The opening function was graced by Dr Ng Raikhan, Chief Medical Officer Ukhrul, Abhiram Mongjam, Joint Director (TI) MACS, Dr Mingyaola, DACO Ukhrul and Ksh Deepak, State TI Coordinator, Manipur as chief guest, president and guests of honour respectively.
The centre is the tenth OST centre opened by MACS in the month of February 2015 and altogether the State has now 15 OST centres at Government healthcare centres.
Speaking at the occasion, Dr Ng Raikhan, CMO, Ukhrul, said that the OST is the best method for treating injecting drug users.
If the IDUs cooperate with the centres and the doctors concerned, then the users can be detoxified and can even lead a normal life ultimately.
He further urged all hospital staff and representatives of TI NGOs not to take the OST centre as a programme but concentrate coordination in all possible ways to eradicate the issue of HIV among IDUs in the State.
Abhiram Mongjam, Joint Director (TI) MACS said that substitution therapy with Opioid is a well accepted treatment strategy for harm minimization in IDUs and several studies from around the world have shown that OST can reduce the prevalence of HIV and HIV risk behaviour among the IDUs.
Adding more, he mentioned that the two most commonly used opioid medications for OST are Buprenorphine and Methadone and both medications have been found to be effective in HIV prevention.
Ksh Deepak, State TI coordinator, Manipur, explained the technical aspects of the therapy.
The function was also attended by officials of North East Regional Office of NACO, MACS, District Hospital Ukhrul and representatives of TI NGOs.
CARE Ukhrul, an IDU TI NGO provides technical support to the centre for its management.