Ky Son: Implementing drug addiction treatment with Methadone

(Baonghean.vn) - On the afternoon of June 10, the Department of Health worked with the People's Committee of Ky Son district and the Border Guard Command of Nghe An province on implementing drug addiction treatment with Methadone in Ky Son.

Methadone is a legal opioid used to replace opioids such as heroin. It is taken orally, thus avoiding the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases through injection.

Treating drug addiction with methadone is considered much more economical than using drugs, especially heroin; it is a treatment method that significantly improves the patient's psychology, helping addicts easily integrate into the community, have a normal life and activities. This is called an alternative treatment method that helps addicts gradually give up drugs.

Overview of the working session

According to statistics from the Ky Son Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, as of June 2015, there were 679 drug addicts in the district with records. However, according to the authorities, the actual number of addicts is much larger.

At the meeting, comrade Nguyen Xuan Hong - Deputy Director of the Department of Health approved policies, plans and evaluated the implementation of treatment of opioid addiction with Methadone in Nghe An province.

Accordingly, the application of Methadone treatment in Nghe An officially started in September 2012. The first facility was at the HIV/AIDS Prevention Center in Vinh City. Up to now, more facilities have been established and put into operation in the districts: Que Phong, Quy Chau, Tuong Duong, Thanh Chuong, Labor Education Center No. 1 and are deploying more facilities in Dien Chau district, Thai Hoa town, Quy Hop, Ky Son, Con Cuong and Do Luong.

In Ky Son, based on the actual assessment of the capacity and necessary conditions in terms of facilities and human resources to build a facility to implement drug addiction treatment with Methadone, the leaders of the Department of Health, the Border Guard Command, and the District People's Committee agreed to choose the Military Medical Clinic of Sub-region 50 to build the facility to implement the program.

With the existing facilities of 7 rooms, 13 staff, including 10 professional staff, 4 doctors; especially with more than 20 years of experience in drug addiction treatment in Ky Son district, Military and Civilian Medical Clinic of Sub-region 50 was trusted with this new and difficult task.

Speaking at the meeting, Comrade Cut Thi Nguyet - Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee pointed out the difficulties in implementing the drug addiction treatment by replacing all forms of opium with Methadone in Ky Son, which are: large area, difficult roads, limited education level of ethnic minorities, the custom of slash-and-burn farming, sometimes during the harvest season, they work in the fields for a whole month without returning home, the treatment must be concentrated at one point, patients take medicine every day... However, with high determination for the benefits of drug addiction treatment by Methadone, the district will actively direct, make efforts, mobilize the participation of organizations, unions and the entire political system to be determined to implement the target assigned by the Provincial People's Committee to treat drug addiction by Methadone in 2015, which is 200 people.

Nguyen Anh Tuan

Office of the People's Committee of Ky Son district