The expansion was part of the city’s plan to launch 11 treatment facilities accommodating 8,500 people by February this year, said Nguyen Khac Hien, Director of the municipal Department of Health. Infrastructure facilities, equipment procurement and staff training are also among the programme priorities, Hien added.
In 2014, as many as 2,300 people who had drug addictions were treated with methadone in six local centres, helping reintegrate them into the community.
Currently, Hospital 09 cares for nearly 400 patients with HIV/AIDS receiving antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. Roughly 70-80 percent of the patients were previously drug addicts and are struggling to follow the strict treatment schedule.
The facilities will help ensure the effectiveness of the treatment while easing the financial burden on HIV patients and their families.
