Letter from Churachandpur dist of Manipur

[Guest guest]

Dear all Readers

Its been very sad to mention about the situation of

Manipur, it's ART prog and adherence etc.

I am currently living in the second town which is the

worst effected distt of the state. Churachandpur (CCPur)

The medical

facilities here in the state is very poor that the

whole district (ccpur is the second town of the state)

have only one distt. hospital that could not provide

a strip of bandage at any given time. Unlike before,

the govrnment started using Lobain (a Spasmo proxivon

liked)the concern doctor is on leave for the last two

weeks and there are tens of people waiting for the

reoperation and redistribution of the medicines.

I have approached the dept for three times but fail to

get the medicines. Now the situation becomes really

sad as the main drug - heroin become more and more

expensive and and difficult to purchase. Let me

mention that the pressure groups including several

militia most of them are sub tribe based used to

control the market and the victims becomes the poor

drug users at the end.

Churachandpur is the worst effected place, it will

never be possible to compare the place with Ukraine

like and any other countriies. Just imagine there are

some young widow who just drop their ongoing art

treatment due to lack of various aminities and

transport sysytem. Bandh in the state is one of the

common words always heard about and on the other hand

the problem of money and CD4 counts. This widow i have

mentioned is not a drug user. Else if the situation

for a non drug users were like this we can never

recommend any drug user to statrt art and expect them

the stick with the so called adherence.

The worst effected ccpur distt is a home for several

mullti ethnic tribes where different militants are

operating and these people were the current main

pressure groups. if the heroin is not available in one

area CONTROL BY SOME GROUP IT IS AVAILABLE IN THE

other areas control by the others.

lets also hightlight about the scenerio of drug

substitution - drug users were always outcaste and

treated like animals in the town. But on the other

hand rehabilitation or detoxification becomes a fast

growing business, there has been more than 15 rehab

centrees where the charges for fooding and lodging

were high, where most of the drug users and street

dwelling users could not manage.

the govt. also fail to provide substitution and they

have their own story that people usually misused the

medicines. But for those who are really in needs of

the drugs and those who even approach with their

guardians were turned down are there was no medicine

for the last couple of weeks or more than a month.

For those person who is craving for a fix of heroin it

will be more recommendable if the person could get

treatment for his addiction before starting the art.

otherwise the medicien will be just wasted and the

consequences of the MDR will kill more people.

I personally feel and suggested that the govt or any

involoving institutions should combine the two

threatment therapy of solving the addiction problem

firstly and then starting only when the user is ready

and stay away from drugs-heroin for at two or three

months.

AS long as there is no assurance that the heroin

market will become stable - interms of supply,

inflation of price etc it seems to be impossible using

and on ART at a time in our place. Changes of the

atmosphere of the market always effect the users, for

an example - sudden unavailability of the price effect

our dose, means of getting money and switching from

one drugs to the others.

If the govt invest equal amount of money on art for

the treatment of drug users by introducing more

reliable substitution therapy, it seems to be more

meaningful rather than always talking and mentionining

about the number of PLWHA on art. we the drug users

and our life are more important than those numerical

numbers.

Thanks

Ricky Tombing

e-MAIL: <rickytombing@...>