WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1975
FURTHER PROGRESS IN MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT EXPECTED
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THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. THE HON. K.L. THONG, HAS SPOKEN OF THE NEED TO PROCEED WITH DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES EVEN AT THIS +PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT PERIOD.*
SPEAKING AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING THIS AFTERNOON,
HE SAID EVERY EFFORT HAD BEEN MADE TO ENSURE THAT AVAILABLE RESOURCES ARE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY UTILISED WITHOUT AFFECTING THE STANDARD AND QUALITY OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE DIFFICULTIES AHEAD HAD NOT BEEN UNDER- ESTIMATED.
+WE SHALL KEEP UP OUR EFFORTS BUT WE ARE AWARE OF THE LIMITATIONS WHICH MUST INEVITABLY COME ABOUT IN SPITE OF OUR GOOD
INTENTIONS,+ HE SAID.
GIVEN THE RESOURCES FURTHER PROGRESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES WILL PROCEED AS MENTIONED BY THE GOVERNOR IN HIS ADDRESS AT THE OPENING SESSION OF THE COUNCIL, HE ASSURED.
THE DIRECTOR OUTLINED STEPS HE PROPOSED TO TAKE IN DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM OF DRUG ADDICTION, IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PHARMACY AND POISONS REGULATIONS AND IN THE PROVISION OF DENTAL HEALTH CARE.
ON THE PROBLEM OF NARCOTICS, DR. THONG SAID A NEW DETOXIFICATION TREATMENT PROGRAMME WOULD BE INTRODUCED TO SUPPLEMENT, AND NOT SUBSTITUTE, THE METHADONE MAINTENANCE SCHEME.
HE EXPLAINED THAT DETOXIFICATION TREATMENT INVOLVED THE USE OF METHADONE FOR THE DETOXIFICATION OF ADDICTS OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW WEEKS WHILE THE METHADONE MAINTENANCE SCHEME CALLED FOR DISPENSING OF A CONSTANT DOSE OF METHADONE DAILY WITHOUT HOSPITALISATION TO AN ADDICT AND FOR AN INDETERMINABLE PERIOD.
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THE DETOXIFICATION PROGRAMME, HE SAID, WOULD BE ABLE TO ELIMINATE THE ADDICT'S CURRENT DEPENDENCE ON NARCOTICS THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION OF GRADUALLY DECREASING DOSES OF METHADONE.
IT MIGHT EVENTUALLY HELP TO CREATE OR REINFORCE MOTIVATION FOR HIM TO SEEK LONGER TERM TREATMENT SUCH AS OFFERED IN A METHADONE MAINTENANCE TREATMENT CLINIC, HE SAID.
ABOVE ALL THE SCHEME, ESSENTIALLY DIRECTED AT A GROUP OF ADDICTS NOT PREPARED FOR LONG TERM METHADONE MAINTENANCE, WOULD PROVIDE YET ANOTHER +SAFE, EFFECTIVE AND LEGAL+ ALTERNATIVE TO THOSE WHO WOULD OTHERWISE TAKE TO ILLICIT NARCOTICS, HE ADDED.
/ON DENTAL HEALTH,