'De-addiction centres exist in name only'

Imphal, Feb 7 : Some de-addiction centers set up with assistance from Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS) by several NGOs in an attempt to provide assistance to the HIV/AIDS patients have been found to exist only in name sake in Thoubal district! .

The matter came to light when the USER Manipur began observing the working of various NGOs which set up various de-addiction centres and drop-in centers with financial assistance from the MACS in Thoubal district today.

The USER Manipur has inspected eleven such centers today in Thoubal district.

The USER team has discovered that the drop in centre run by the Society for Women Education Action and Reaction, Tentha Khunou, is not functioning and the team was also greeted with locked door of the office.

Another DIC clinic, Amarsh was also found without any infrastructures and it was found that the monitoring reports of the outreach workers had not been prepared.

In Kakching, the team found that no substitution therapy was given to the clients and in Sabaltongba, no client was registered and the door of the center was found locked.

Meanwhile, many of the centers have registered complain to the visiting USER Manipur members and a team of media persons about the non-release of fund by the MACS.

They also said that the centers have been not receiving fund for the functioning of the centres for around seven months.

This has rendered them to stop field works and campaigning, they complained.

They also said that non-availability of fund has also strained the relations between the staff and the clients.