by Faith Lawino.
The drug methadone is a heavily guarded substance at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral (JOOTRH) wellness center.
The department also known as MAT (Medically Assisted Therapy) center, is designed to serve Persons Who Inject Drugs (PWID), especially opioids. This combines the use of medication which is assisted by therapy as a treatment method.
A visit to the facility is an experience. Upon reaching the JOOTRH Wellness gate, you will be prompted to wait for the keen and uncompromised security guards to open the gate for you. The next step would be to sign the visitors’ book by the gate before proceeding to any endeavor. Just after signing in and lifting your face, you will see a shiny, unique, and blinking device which is embedded in the upper corner of the security room. CCVT. Perhaps one would wonder why security at the MAT center is doubled. Well, to satisfy your curiosity, the drug Methadone deserves this type of layered security measures.
Methadone is a type of drug that stabilizes the body system hence preventing withdrawals that are caused by drug addiction. Most of the drug addiction cases handled at the wellness center are street-abused drugs with heroine being the most prominent. The other is an addiction to pethidine drug which is mostly used during surgery to numb pain. Pethidine is a strong pain reliever that when used over time leads to addiction.
The solution, hence to overcoming addiction is the use of methadone. The drug is a lifesaver. It is only administered in the pharmacy section and no one is allowed to carry it home. The pharmacy room is guarded by CCTV cameras and motion sensors which detect any slight movement within the area. The entry point is systemized with a lock which requires biometric information to let you in. The drug methadone is stored in the pharmacy, which calmly rests in a cabinet container. The container itself has a lock hence the methadone is safe as ever.
The drug is secure as it is; is administered with caution up to the minute a patient has to drink it up. Methadone is measured by a device called methameasure and administered to patients depending on their level of withdrawal. Some get an equally high amount of methadone. These are people with severe withdrawals. The patients have to be identified through their profiles which have been recorded on a computer. Apart from that, they have to go through fingerprint identification to ascertain their identity.
They are then given the drug in dispensing cups from the pharmacy dispensing window. This, they do under the observation of the CCTV cameras to ensure they take the drug there and then. This is to prevent the patients from sneaking away without taking the drug or carrying it home and even pouring it out.
All these measures are put in place to ensure that methadone is rightly used for the best and desired results. This prevents those who would sneak out with the drug for use of other purposes such as mixing it with other substances and narcotics to get the euphoric effect. It is in this accord that the JOOTRH wellness center strives to help patients overcome drug addiction. The journey to overcoming drug addiction and dependency takes time, determination, counseling, and adherence to methadone drugs.
The MAT program at JOOTRH is supported by an implementing partner, the Center for International Health, Education and Biosecurity (CIHEB)-Kenya, through the ENTRECH program. ENTRENCH means Enhancing Technical Responses to HIV Epidemic control through Nimble County Health. The Team CIHEB- Kenya and other partners, therefore, visited JOOTRH to conduct a collaboration and review program. One important area of focus was the administration of methadone drugs. The drug is used nationwide to help in overcoming addiction, hence playing a very important role. The partners included; NASCOP Which deals with funding, technical support, and kit implementation. The CDC (Centre for Disease Control), Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and Division of National AIDS and STI Control Program.
The dedicated team had a brief meeting with the CEO for JOOTRH Dr. George Rae before they were taken through MAT services, by the in-charge Mrs. Onyango Betty. Dr. Rae noted there exists a gap in the research sector and the need to conduct more studies on Medically Assisted Therapy. He noted the dynamism that exists around wellness hence more studies, especially when it comes to psychological issues. The outstanding CEO further appreciated the CIHEB team and CDC for their unending services and support that they render on matters of wellness.
Dr.Anita Nyabiage who is the ENTRENCH program director also acknowledged that CIHEB-Kenya and MAT( JOOTRH) conduct peer capacity-building training, the establishment of support groups, sensitization of law enforcers on MAT care, and many more. All these are geared towards retaining all clients on care.
The visit ended with a visit to Manyatta and Naselica DICE which provides HIV prevention services for Persons Who Inject Drugs.
The team which visited the Manyatta Dice had the opportunity to interact with the clients, service providers, and data analysts to get to know the type of activities conducted in the area. The Dice conducts community case identification and enrollment of clients In HIV prevention services. The clients before induction for MAT services, undergo urine tests, checking of vitals, hepatitis B and C tests, and HIV tests and are also vaccinated for Covid-19.
