Former addicts of psychoactive substances (PAS) who receive methadone therapy at the Kotor Health Center were suffering on Friday due to the shortage of that drug.
One of them spoke to "Vijesti" claiming that about 30 patients waited in vain for almost a whole day in front of the Health Center and Psychiatric Clinic in Dobrota, to which "they were sent that day to receive mandatory therapy."
"When users are left without therapy, they suffer more pain than when it comes to heroin crisis. Boys who have been 'clean' for 2-3 years are now forced to take heroin and return to drugs," wrote one of them in an email sent to "Vijesti".
He claims that on Friday, no one from the Health Center came to explain to them what to do, even though there are about 300 users of the methadone program in that center.
"The only thing left for us to do is to squeal like dogs... Someone has to be responsible for this situation, because even ten days ago they knew that they would be left without therapy. Now they shift the responsibility to each other, and we suffer," he said, accusing the two health institutions of negligence.
Those health institutions explained to "Vijesta" how the shortage occurred, claiming that the problem was solved.
The director of the psychiatric clinic, Dragan Čabarkapa, told "Vijesta" yesterday that a number of users receiving methadone at the Kotor Health Center came to the Special Hospital on January 08.
"I was personally and collegially engaged, with the help of the Ministry of Health, to deliver a smaller amount of methadone from Montefarm to DZ Kotor, which was already distributed in the afternoon shift. I explained this to a certain small group of patients that I personally received and instructed them to report to the MTT Center in the Kotor Health Center for the afternoon shift," he said.
Čabarkapa explained that the Special Hospital has nine beds for inpatient treatment of patients addicted to PAS and that they plan the annual methadone needs for them.
"ZU Special Hospital for Psychiatry planned sufficient amounts of methadone for the needs of its patients in the previous year, and there is no shortage of this drug in our institution," he said.
Organized emergency procurement
Psychiatrist Aleksandar Macić, who works with users of methadone therapy at the Kotor Health Center, claims that the problem with the shortage of therapy has been resolved.
"The stoppage in the supply of methadone lasted for one day. Methadone is given regularly again and there is no question of carelessness on the part of the institution," he said, adding that it is "about a population that is very sensitive to any lack of medicine."
Čabarkapa said that he is aware that DZ Kotor is in the procedure of emergency procurement of methadone for the next period, which is expected to be resolved by the end of next week and that by then the problem will be overcome with "smaller loans, within the framework of health institutions in Montenegro ".
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