After six months of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) in centralThua Thien-Hue province, about 75 percent of drug addicts using thetherapy have seen improved physical and mental health; many of themfound jobs and have settled down.

According tothe provincial Department of Health, the methadone centre on Nguyen VanLinh street in Hue City, the first of its kind in the province, hasreceived a large number of applications for treatment since it opened inNovember last year.

When attending the centre,drug users are provided with an initial intake assessment whichincludes health check-ups and psycho-social evaluations, and then freemethadone doses that suit their needs together with medical adviceduring the treatment process.

In addition, doctors and medial workers educate patients and their family on the benefits of MMT.

To date, the locality has opened two MMT centres treating 150 drugusers, 75 percent of who have reached the stabilisation phase andimproved mental health. About 35 of them found jobs with the help of thecentre after their recovery.

It is estimatedthat more than 470 people in Thua Thien-Hue province are currentlyaddicted to heroin, cannabis, ecstasy and others. Of them, 60 percentget injections and are at the greatest risk of HIV transmission.

The MMT is a cost-effective method that costs nine times less thantraditional treatments in rehab centres. It not only allows addictedpeople to stop using drugs, reduces their risk of HIV transmission andimproves their quality of life, but also is associated with a reductionin criminal activity.

To improve MMTeffectiveness, the province plans to provide drug users with mentalcounselling and soft skill training to help them find jobs.

It will also ramp up promotional campaigns on the significance andbenefits of MMT programmes and work to improve the capacity of MMTdoctors and medical workers.-VNA