Bali: Sanglah Hospital Appointed as WHO's Model for Methadone Treatment

Denpasar, Bali- The Sanglah Hospital has been appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a model hospital for the treatment (RM) of 20,395 drug-addicts by providing them with methadone medicines in 2005, a spokesperson of the hospital, Putu Putra Wisada, said on Sunday.

"The special unit serves 80-90 patients on average every day," Putu Putra Wisada said.

He said the treatment was provided to cure the drugs addicted people in addition to prevent the spread of the HIV/AIDS, as it was able to change their attitude from using the injection to consuming the medicine. In a low dosage, methadone could prevent the bad impact of the deadly hepatitis virus and other diseases.

"With the treatment, the drug addicts could free themselves from their bad habit," he said, adding that the hospital treats 16 people with HIV/AIDS every month.

In 2005, 29 people suffering from HIV/AIDS died in the hospital, adding the number of HIV infection-related death toll till December to 798.Some 3,000 people were reported to have been infected by the HIV viruss.

Source: Antara News, Indonesian News Agency