Consultation on public health & drug use response held
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 13 2024: A state level consultation on Public Health Perspective & Drug Use Response was organised by Manipur Users Collective (MUC) at Sangai Hall, Hotel Imphal by The Classic, North AOC, here, on Saturday.

The consultation brought together eminent personalities from diverse sections of society, including retired administrators, academicians, medical and legal experts, media representatives, and members from various CBOs, CSOs, NGOs, and the drug user community.

According to a statement of MUC, the consultation aimed to explore pragmatic and qualitative responses through collective engagement, work towards mitigating the complex challenges by emphasising public health and an inclusive approach, and create a conducive social impact.

The event featured two technical sessions on the theme "Public Health Perspective & Humane Approach to Drugs." The first session was moderated by senior journalist A Mobi with retired health director Dr Kh Sasheekumar Mangang, Imphal Review of Arts & Politics editor Pradip Phanjoubam, HERICOUN advisor Ratan Longjam, and Reverend Remember Newmai, a church leader from Ukhrul as panellists.

They discussed issues related to health, media, CSO, and spiritual perspectives.

The second session was chaired by retired IAS RK Nimai, with retired professor W Nabakumar Singh, retired judge A Noutuneshwari Devi, and CADA general secretary T Geetchandra Mangang as panellists.

They spoke on academic, legal, and CSO perspectives.

RK Nimai concluded the session by summarising the panellists' presentations and offering insights from an administrative viewpoint.

Prolific interactive sessions followed each technical session, fostering a rich exchange of ideas.

The special rapporteur Deben Bachaspatimayum, presented a concise summary of the discussions.

The consultation concluded with a consensus among panellists and participants to adopt a more humane and inclusive approach in tackling the drug crisis in Manipur.

Various recommendations were made to translate these aspirations into actionable strategies, reflecting a collective commitment to addressing the issue effectively, the statement added.

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