Mauritius: Health Minister Announces Decentralisation of the Methadone Substitution Therapy Programme
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The Minister of Health and Quality of Life, Mr A.K. Gayan, announced today during a press conference in Port Louis that as from Saturday 10 January 2015 the methadone substitution therapy programme will be further decentralised in the sense that there will be more than just one site for the distribution of methadone in a particular region.
Taking the example of Beau Bassin -Rose Hill region where some 900 patients are converging to just one site he announced that as from this coming Saturday some seven sites will be used for the distribution of methadone.
Minister Gayan pointed out that this decentralisation has been made possible with the help and support of the police as most of the new sites will be in the yard of some police stations where caravans will be used for the distribution of methadone. He also underlined that henceforth the distibution of methadone henceforth will be from 06 00 hours to 08 00 hours instead of 09 00 hours.
Those who will benefit from this program after recommendation from the Non-Governmental Organisations will be handed over a card containing their details and must bring along their identity card to benefit from the programme said Minister Gayan. He added that the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life reserves the right to remove the card of any patient if that person does not abide to the set of rules under this programme.
The Minister recalled that the methadone substitution therapy programme was initiated in 2006 and that some 6 600 persons benefit from this programme that cost some Rs 50 million to the state.
