SUBUTEX ABUSERS

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SUBUTEX ABUSERS: 14.

Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Health (a) how many Subutex abusers have sought treatment from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH); (b) how effective has the rehabilitation programme been; (c) what is the outcome of the investigations into the conduct of some GPs who had freely dispensed Subutex; and (d) what additional resources have been provided to IMH to help them cope with this increased workload.

The Minister for Health (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) conducted the Subutex Voluntary Rehabilitation Programme (SVRP) from 21st August to 13th October 2006. More than 3,000 Subutex users signed up for the programme, 2,452 turned up for their first consultation and about half, 1,590 completed the medical detoxification phase.

It is still early to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme. We will work closely with IMH and the enforcement agencies, such as the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and Singapore Police Force (SPF), to monitor

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the situation. Success ultimately depends on the individual's commitment and determination to remain drug-free and the support he receives from family, friends and the community.

SVRP was a massive logistical exercise. The scale of the medical detoxification phase is unprecedented, both in Singapore as well as in any other country. The Ministry of Health had to mobilise locums and additional medical and paramedical staff from several hospitals to help run the programme that ran into the evenings and over the weekends. Additional security personnel and support staff were also deployed to enable the SVRP Clinics to run smoothly. I thank them all for their valuable contributions to this project.

The smooth implementation of SVRP is testimony to the collaborative spirit that prevails amongst the many agencies involved in this issue.

Drug addiction remains a potential problem and there will always be some who succumb to it, whether it is heroin, Subutex or some other chemicals. We must never be complacent and the Ministry of Health will continue to support the CNB in its zero-tolerance approach to this problem.

As for the doctors who were alleged to have freely dispensed Subutex, the Ministry has investigated them and is in the process of referring them to the Singapore Medical Council for further investigations and disciplinary actions, if necessary.