OST benefits inaccessible to 90 pc of IDUs
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 29 2014:
Almost 90 per cent of injecting drug users in the State have no access to the benefits provided by Oral Substitution Therapy (OST) .
Even though the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) recommended 37 OST sites for injecting drug users of Manipur including women, due sanction for opening 28 OST sites was given around two years back.
Out of these 28 OST sites, nine are being run by NGOs.
The remaining 19 OST sites should be opened in the State Government's district hospitals, CHCs and PHCs.
Hospitals/health centres approved by NACO for opening OST sites are CHC Jiribam, CHC Wangoi, Urban Health Centre Singjamei, RIMS, CHC Sekmai, CHC Moirang, CHC Lilong, CHC Kakching, CHC Sugnu, PHC Hiyanglam, Thoubal district hospital, PHC Saikul, Senapati district hospital, PHC Motbung, Ukhrul district hospital, Chandel district hospital, Moreh Government hospital, Tamenglong district hospital and Churachandpur district hospital.
Against these listed health centres/hospitals where NACO gave approval for opening OST sites, only three OST sites have been opened, one each at Churachandpur district hospital, Senapati district hospital and RIMS.
The remaining 16 OST sites could not be opened till date.
According to information culled by The Sangai Express, there should be four staff; one doctor, one ANM nurse, one counsellor and one data collector, for each OST site.
It is because of the non-appointment of these staff and non-release of requisite fund, that the sanctioned OST sites could not be opened till date.
As for the OST sites presently functioning in three Government health centres, the requisite staff were absorbed from the existing staff after giving them necessary training.
This system of training hospital staff for assigning them to OST sites has an inherent drawback.
Once those limited trained staff are transferred elsewhere, the OST sites where they worked would be paralyzed.
As such, the requisite staff should be appointed fresh exclusively for the OST sites.
The approximate number of injecting drug users in the State covered by the Targeted Intervention (TI) Programme is 22,210 as against the total figure of 4442 who are in need of OST as estimated by NACO.
At present, the existing 12 OST sites cover around 1440 IDUs.
The figure worked out by NACO is bound to rise as another 17,766 people have been injecting heroin under TI programme.
Again, there are many more youngsters who have been injecting drugs (heroin) although they are not covered by TI programme.
There is a growing need for opening more OST centres in order to rescue many youngsters from the jaw of drug menace.
Even though the border town of Moreh is known for presence of a substantial number of injecting drug users, there is no OST site there.
Under OST, injecting drug users are prescribed Buprenorphine and methadone by qualified medical practitioners as substitutes for heroin.
Out of the 12 OST sites operating in the State, Buprenorphine is prescribed at 11 sites while the remaining one OST prescribes Methadone.
This arrangement also helps in controlling HIV transmission among IDUs.
These drugs can also effectively do away with anxiety, loss of time as well as money which IDUs often encountered in search of their daily dose of heroin.
It also reduces the possibility of IDUs committing anti-social or illegal activities in their pursuit for illegal drugs.
After regular treatment under the OST programmes, many IDUs have successfully given up their drug habits and they are now living as a normal person in the mainstream.
It is in this backdrop that many IDU's have been urging concerned authorities to open more OST sites in the State.
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