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"Free Condoms And
Needles For Addicts Not A Waste- Chua"
Bernama (www.bernama.com.my)
(13/06/05)
The
cost of providing free condoms and syringes to drug addicts is expected to
cost RM145 million annually but will help avoid 90,000 new HIV infections,
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said Monday. He said the government
was seriously thinking of introducing the measure (free provision of needles
and condoms to drug addicts) as the cost of treating HIV patients had
exceeded RM500 million yearly. "That is the cost of medication only and does
not include other costs," he told reporters after opening the Millennium
Development Goals Seminar organised by his ministry and the World Health
Organisation (WHO) here.
Dr
Chua said almost 40 per cent of drug addicts who were HIV positive also
contracted other illnesses like tuberculosis and pneumonia which further
added to the cost of treatment. "In short, providing the needles and condoms
is not a waste of the people's money ... in terms of savings, it is triple
the amount," he said. Earlier this month, Dr Chua announced that the
government was seriously considering providing syringes and condoms for free
to drug addicts to stem the spread of HIV.
However, the proposal
received various reactions, with ulamas and religious organisations fearing
the move would lead to indiscriminate sex while non-governmental
organisations lauded the move. Dr Chua added that he and Minister in the
Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Dr Abdullah Mohamed Zin would meet with
ulama groups soon to clarify the issue.
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