CoNE decries forcing families to buy Naloxone
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 18 2016: The Community Network for Empowerment (CoNE) has decried the act of forcing families and relatives of drug users to buy Naloxone (medicine) as and when they are taken to hospitals for treatment of drug overdose.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here today, CoNE president RK Nalinikanta said that in spite of the State Government providing Naloxone for overdose management free of cost at Government health institutions, health care providers in Government health institutions are asking patients to get the medicines from pharmacies instead of providing them with the Government supply.

In some cases, the health care providers do provide free supply Naloxone but ask the patients to replace the used Naloxone.

Naloxone medicine has been included among the essential medicines list formulated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India considering the importance of the medicine in saving the life of an individual.

The medicine should be made affordable and easily accessible to the needy patients.

Moreover, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, directed the Principle Secretary (Health and Family Welfare), Government of Manipur on December 2, 2014 to make Naloxone available free of cost in all health care settings in the State.

CoNE had also been pushing the authority concerned in this regard.

As a result, a State level consultative meet was held under the joint aegis of State Health Department, NHM, MACS and CoNE on January 28, 2015 and it was resolved to provide Naloxone free of cost in Government health settings.

Finally Naloxone was made available in 23 Government health care settings from November 2015 .

Unfortunately, on December 13, 2015, a case where a patient was deprived of the facility in RIMS came up.

In another incident which occurred on December 31, in JNIMS, a patient was administered Naloxone (two vials) and was asked for replacement from the patient party.

CoNE representatives met authorities concerned including MACS Project Director to discuss the matter following which a coordination meeting was held on January 12, 2016 at the conference hall of MACS.

During the meeting it was resolved to curb all such problems in future.

Another incident came up on February 15, 2016 at RIMS where the staff nurse informed the patient party to replace the used medicine (Naloxone) after being administered the medicine and life of the patient was saved.

matter was solved after the intervention of CoNE representatives at the spot.

However, the question remains to be asked as to why Naloxone are not freely made accessible to the people.

This could be clear case of discrimination of people who use drugs by the health care providers, or lack of communication between the staff present at the casualty and those involved in maintaining and circulating the medicines, Nalinikanta said.

He said that Naloxones are sold in black at Rs 2000 -15000 whose actual cost is only Rs 75 -117 per vial.

He then appealed to all the heads of Government health institutions to look into the matter and see that his/her subordinate staff understand the problem and implement the free accessibility of Naloxone in a smooth manner.

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