Physical abuse of drug users is direct result of Government's apathy: 3.5 Collective
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 22 2020: The 3.5 Collective has strongly condemned ' the torture of drug users, which has gone viral on social media.

It was the direct result of the Government of Manipur's apathy and wrong policy toward the drug users, said The 3.5 Collective in a statement.

Addressing media persons at the Kwakeithel office of Human Rights Alert (HRA) today, The 3.5 Collective convenor Babloo Loitongbam had said that the torture on drug users which has gone viral on social media was just the tip of an ice berg and it clearly showed the overall attitude of the society and the Government towards the drug user's community which is very unfortunate and condemnable in the strongest terms.

The incident which has gone viral on social media was the escape of a drug user from Covid care centre located at RIMS on November 19, 2020 .

In the video that went viral, it was seen that the drug user was caught by medical staff of RIMS Covid care centre somewhere in Imphal and manhandled in public.

The patient was kicked and slapped before he was carried away in an ambulance with his hands tied in the back, he said.

Babloo said that the incident was the fallout of the Government's failure in its policies and the lackadaisical attitude in addressing the special needs of the drug user's community.

All in all it can be rightly termed as a systematic failure of the State Government in handling the covid-19 pandemic in the State, he said.

He further appealed to the Government to address the special needs of the specific population including the drug user's community while responding to the covid pandemic so that such incidents can be reduced to a considerable level in future.

The 3.5 Collective co-convenor, Jogesh Maibam who was also present during the press briefing, said that despite several representations submitted to the authority concerned regarding proper medical treatment to current drug users who are found to be covid-19 positive, they are kept in covid care centres (CCC).

The indifferent attitude of the Government in handling the situation has led to serious chaos in the society to the extent of covid patients running away from the treatment centres, he said.

The more grimmer part of the whole scenario is that such patients (current drug users) who are victims of coronavirus are left with no choice but to escape from the treatment centre in search of their daily doses as their priority is not treatment from coronavirus but procurement of drugs at any cost since they begin to suffer from withdrawal symptom in the absence of drugs, he added.

It is pertinent to mention that any current drug user who is provided treatment at drug treatment centres is given substitute drug treatment medicines to control the withdrawal symptoms which creep up the moment a drug user is denied drugs.

This symptom goes on for over a couple of days and there is an urgent need for the patient to be provided treatment as per the need, Jogesh informed.

However, it was not the case in any of the centres and hospitals in the State where covid patients are kept and treated at present, he said.

Nevertheless, following several representations written to the competent authority to open separate quarantine centres exclusively for drug dependents ever since the covid pandemic started and the Government imposed lockdown in the State, the Principal Secretary (Social Welfare ) had issued an advisory on April 6, 2020 instructing the Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts (IRCAs) and private run drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centres to accommodate the dependent users who do not have any other place to stay.

The advisory also instructed the Social Welfare Department to facilitate procurement of essential commodities from the Department concerned on payment basis, he said.

Again on May 30, 2020, the Project Director of Manipur State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) issued a circular instructing all the TI NGOs (non Government organisations) and OST centres to follow the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (DDAP) Division, Government of India to manage drugs and substance withdrawal in the context of the lockdown as a response to covid-19 pandemic.

Later on June 2, 2020, the Director of Health Services, Government of Manipur issued a memorandum informing that one block (Block B) of HIT Quarantine Centre, Mantripukhri has been designated as Institutional Quarantine Centre (IQC) only for the passengers who use drugs and arriving in Manipur.

The IQC was to be managed by MSACS.

Despite these initiatives, presumably in concern for the drug user's community, a number of unwanted incidents have been happening in the State wherein the drug user's community has been targeted and are being victimised, he said.

There have been numerous incidents where drug users reportedly ran away from covid care centres but were later caught by the public as well as the staff concerned of the centres.

Nobody cared to investigate and acknowledge the fact that the drug users had ran away from the centres not because they were not provided better foods and lodgings but due to the withdrawal symptoms, he said.

This has clearly indicated how careless and irresponsible the authority is in dealing with the drug users community, he continued.

The media briefing was also attended by The 3.5 Collective co-convenor, Geetchandra Mangang and member RK Nalinikanta, the statement said.

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