Therapy for addicts bearing fruit

NST: THE Health Ministry’s methadone replacement therapy (MRT) programme to wean addicts away from hard drugs has shown encouraging results.
Its Minister, Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek, told the Dewan Negara that the programme has seen a retention rate (where those using drugs keep away from it after undergoing MRT) of 84 per cent.
He added that 1,240 drug addicts were on the MRT programme’s first phase. Under Phase Two, 5,000 addicts will be brought under it.
He said the misuse of methadone was low as it came in liquid form, as compared to another drug, Subutex.
Subutex is dispensed in the form of pills and can be obtained from any private medical practitioners.
To prevent the misuse of Subutex, the ministry has taken a number of steps, he said yesterday when replying to points raised by senators during the Budget 2007 debate.
This includes the creation of a Drug Substitution Registry to register all private practitioners involved in the substitute therapy programme, while at the same time registering drug addicts involved in such programme.
Touching on the Health Tourism sector, he said there were 35 hospitals nationwide which marketed products under the concept this year. He said 232,161 tourists sought treatment at these hospitals, generating for them RM150.9 million in revenue.
Replying to a point raised by Senator Datin Paduka Norhayati Onn, he said the current government policy was to equip all hospitals with haemodylasis centres.
The government will continue to provide financial assistance to those seeking treatment from haemodylasis centres run by non-governmental organisations.
"Out of the 4,169 patients seeking treatment in such centres, 2,132 patients are given treatment subsidies for each session," he said.