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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1974
CLARIFICATION OF METHADONE MAINTENANCE TREATMENT
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THE MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S
THREE NEW METHADONE MAINTENANCE CENTRES IS TO DISPENSE
METHADONE IN ORANGE JUICE TO 1,000 PATIENTS IN EACH CENTRE A DAY.
+ IF THE NEED ARISES,+ A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY, +EVEN MORE CENTRES WILL BE OPENED.+
HE EXPLAINED THAT A NEW PATIENT COULD NOT BE GIVEN METHADONE WITHOUT A PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND AN INVESTIGATION INTO THEIR DRUG ADDICTION HISTORY WHICH IS A TIME-CONSUMING PROCESS AND TAKES ABOUT HALF AN HOUR FOR EACH CASE.
+BUT ONCE HE IS ACCEPTED FOR TREATMENT, HE WILL BE GIVEN HIS DAILY DOSAGE UNDER SUPERVISION WITH NO DELAY AT ALL,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
HE REFUTED A NEWSPAPER REPORT THAT APPLICANTS FOR METHADONE TREATMENT HAD BEEN TURNED AWAY+ FROM THE CLINICS WHICH OPENED YESTERDAY.
+THEY WERE NOT TURNED AWAY, OR DENIED TREATMENT, IT WAS EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THEY HAD TO AWAIT THEIR TURN, THAT THEY HAD TO BRING ALONG WITH THEM THEIR IDENTITY CARDS AND THREE PASSPORT-SIZE PHOTOGRAPHS - WHICH MANY HAD FAILED TO DO AND THAT IF THEY COULD NOT BE SEEN ON ONE DAY, THEY WOULD BE ATTENDED TO ON THE NEXT.
+THIS IS THE NORMAL PRACTICE AT ANY OUT-PATIENT CLINIC RUN BY THE DEPARTMENT,+ THE SPOKESMAN COMMENTED.
HE REPEATED THAT NEW PATIENTS WERE BEING SEEN AT THE NEW TREATMENT CENTRES ON THE AVERAGE OF ABOUT 30 A DAY AT EACH CENTRE BETWEEN 9 A.M. AND 5 P.M. ON WEEKDAYS, AND BETWEEN 9 A.M. AND 1 P.M. ON SATURDAYS.
FOR PATIENTS COMING FOR THEIR DAILY DOSAGE, THE CLINICS WERE BEING KEPT OPEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BETWEEN 7 A.M. AND 9.30 P.M.
THE CLINICS ARE LOCATED AT THE HO MAN TIN HEALTH CENTRE IN PRINCESS MARGARET ROAD, THE ROBERT BLACK HEALTH CENTRE IN SAN PO KONG, AND THE LADY TRENCH POLYCLINIC IN TSUEN WAN. IS $1 A VISIT WHICH CAN BE WAIVED IN CASE OF NEED.
THE FEE
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