The HIV/AIDS harm reduction program at Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung, West Java, has been operating now for more than two years. Unfortunately, many drug addicts are still reluctant to undertake the treatments, thanks to repeated police raids and arrests.
Rana (an alias), for example, told The Jakarta Post that she got the shock of her life last August when her younger brother, who was undergoing Metadon therapy at one of the clinics in the hospital, was arrested by police without any apparent reason.
"My younger brother was suddenly arrested by two weapon-touting police. They covered my brother's face with a jacket and brought him to a police station for interrogation," said Rana.
At the station, Rana's brother was asked to take a urine test and was interrogated for three hours. The police never announced the result of the urine test nor explained why her brother was arrested.
Failing to prove that Rana's brother possessed drugs at the time of the arrest, police charged him with carrying concealed weapons.
Rana's brother was released two days later, but not until their family paid Rp 2 million (US$215) to the police.
"He had to be released, as we don't want him to stop undergoing Metadon therapy," said Rana, adding that her brother has been undergoing the therapy for more than six months.
Metadon Community member Ramli (an alias) said that two other drug addicts undergoing Metadon and Subutex therapies were arrested in August 2006 and another in October. They were arrested almost immediately after their therapy session.
The Metadon Therapy Clinic at Hasan Sadikin Hospital was established in mid-2005. It provides synthetic opium -- Metadon and Subutex -- for drug users. Metadon is a liquid synthetic opium and costs Rp 15,000 ($1.60) per treatment, while Subutex is a peppermint-like synthetic opium.
Currently, 65 former intravenous drug users (IDUs) are being treated at the hospital.
The arrest of Rana's brother was not the first. Immediately following the clinic's founding, police raided it and arrested drug users undergoing treatment.
"Eleven people were arrested in the first raid and 16 in the second immediately after their therapy session," Ramli said.
"We are willing to do this (providing therapy) because we want to prevent people from contracting HIV. So this is not for us," said Ramli, who claimed that he was an IDU for nine years until he quit in 2003 with the help of Metadon therapy.
At least 64 percent of the 798 HIV/AIDS cases in Bandung are directly connected to needle sharing among IDUs. The harm reduction program is thus a necessary measure to reduce HIV/AIDS cases.
Teddy Hidajat, head of the Metadon Therapy Clinic, said lack of information dissemination among police officers in the field had led to the raids.
"The arrests should not have taken place, especially in the hospital compound. The arrests will make people afraid to come to the hospital (for treatment)," said Teddy, adding that he had filed a complaint with the West Java Police.
Capt. Susiana of the West Java Police admitted that many police officers in the field had no information about the harm reduction program.
"The arrests of drug addicts undergoing Metadon therapy reflect a lack of communication among officers," he said.
However, Teddy believes that a lack of information on the program among police officers was just one problem haunting the harm reduction program.
"Up until now, we only have an (informal) understanding (with the police), without any binding regulations. But then again, the understanding is only with high-ranking officers, not with those in the field," he said.
(JP/Yuli Tri Suwarni)
--Source Jakarta Post
Rana (an alias), for example, told The Jakarta Post that she got the shock of her life last August when her younger brother, who was undergoing Metadon therapy at one of the clinics in the hospital, was arrested by police without any apparent reason.
"My younger brother was suddenly arrested by two weapon-touting police. They covered my brother's face with a jacket and brought him to a police station for interrogation," said Rana.
At the station, Rana's brother was asked to take a urine test and was interrogated for three hours. The police never announced the result of the urine test nor explained why her brother was arrested.
Failing to prove that Rana's brother possessed drugs at the time of the arrest, police charged him with carrying concealed weapons.
Rana's brother was released two days later, but not until their family paid Rp 2 million (US$215) to the police.
"He had to be released, as we don't want him to stop undergoing Metadon therapy," said Rana, adding that her brother has been undergoing the therapy for more than six months.
Metadon Community member Ramli (an alias) said that two other drug addicts undergoing Metadon and Subutex therapies were arrested in August 2006 and another in October. They were arrested almost immediately after their therapy session.
The Metadon Therapy Clinic at Hasan Sadikin Hospital was established in mid-2005. It provides synthetic opium -- Metadon and Subutex -- for drug users. Metadon is a liquid synthetic opium and costs Rp 15,000 ($1.60) per treatment, while Subutex is a peppermint-like synthetic opium.
Currently, 65 former intravenous drug users (IDUs) are being treated at the hospital.
The arrest of Rana's brother was not the first. Immediately following the clinic's founding, police raided it and arrested drug users undergoing treatment.
"Eleven people were arrested in the first raid and 16 in the second immediately after their therapy session," Ramli said.
"We are willing to do this (providing therapy) because we want to prevent people from contracting HIV. So this is not for us," said Ramli, who claimed that he was an IDU for nine years until he quit in 2003 with the help of Metadon therapy.
At least 64 percent of the 798 HIV/AIDS cases in Bandung are directly connected to needle sharing among IDUs. The harm reduction program is thus a necessary measure to reduce HIV/AIDS cases.
Teddy Hidajat, head of the Metadon Therapy Clinic, said lack of information dissemination among police officers in the field had led to the raids.
"The arrests should not have taken place, especially in the hospital compound. The arrests will make people afraid to come to the hospital (for treatment)," said Teddy, adding that he had filed a complaint with the West Java Police.
Capt. Susiana of the West Java Police admitted that many police officers in the field had no information about the harm reduction program.
"The arrests of drug addicts undergoing Metadon therapy reflect a lack of communication among officers," he said.
However, Teddy believes that a lack of information on the program among police officers was just one problem haunting the harm reduction program.
"Up until now, we only have an (informal) understanding (with the police), without any binding regulations. But then again, the understanding is only with high-ranking officers, not with those in the field," he said.
(JP/Yuli Tri Suwarni)
--Source Jakarta Post
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