The Secretary General of the Narcotics Control Office met journalists at Koh Samui Hospital to examine the methadone substitution treatment for patients dependent on heroin.
The police lieutenant colonel Suriya Singhakamon, Secretary General of the Narcotics Control Office, led a delegation of journalists to the island of Koh Samui, in Surat Thani province, to observe the operation of the methadone substitution clinic established at the island hospital.
This initiative forms part of a harm-reduction policy. The aim is to encourage heroin users to enter a course of treatment while limiting risky practices, particularly the sharing of syringes.
« The provision of methadone at Koh Samui Hospital is an essential lever for reducing heroin dependence. By easing withdrawal symptoms under medical supervision, it enables patients to regain a stable social and professional life. The Narcotics Control Office warmly thanks the medical teams and civil-society partners who make this effective and sustainable programme possible. »
The provincial vice-governor, Chakkrish Fangchonchit, and the hospital director, Dr Chakkrit Suwannathep, welcomed the delegation. Psychiatrist Boonkul Lokaphan then presented the local results: the clinic, run in partnership with the Rak Thai Foundation, combines methadone dispensing with psychiatric follow-up to support patients towards a gradual exit from dependence.
The journalists also met carers, social workers from the Rak Thai Foundation and several patients who have already benefited from the treatment. The latter spoke of their return to a normal life without relapsing into heroin use.
According to the Secretary General, facilitated access to care allows users, regarded as patients, to reintegrate sustainably. This experience could be replicated in other tourist areas facing similar issues.
Source : CH7