SHILLONG: A fact-finding team has unearthed malpractices in HIV-control programmes of two centres in the state and has recommended action against the staff responsible for the discrepancies.
The revelation came after the team visited the Voluntary Health Association of Meghalaya Injecting Drug User Targeted Intervention (VHAM ITU TI) cum Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) in Jowai and the VHAM Core Composite (CC) TI in Ladrymbai last month.
The main objective of the programmes is to minimise HIV infections among the injecting drug users.
Malpractices of the VHAM centres were revealed when the field mentor, East Khasi Hills, was instructed to identify the core issues hampering the overall performance of the regular programme (of TIs and OST centres) as well as the innovation activities complementing and supplementing the regular programme.
The field mentor in charge was deputed from the North East Technical Support Unit (NETSU). A fact-finding report of the two centres was also prepared by NETSU.
At the VHAM centre in Jowai, the team found that the centre lacked basic tools or kits, namely clean needles and syringes, cotton swabs, condoms and safe disposal materials and that only 24 per cent injecting drug users (IDUs) were identified out of 400 active population.
Further, the team discovered that that the TI project manager and the counsellor of VHAM ODU TI cum OST centre, Jowai had instructed them to inflate the population figures against the number of clients who were in the service area.
It was stated that most of the IDUs informed that they get needles and syringes only from the Drop in Centre (DIC) and sometimes if the TIPM and Counselor of VHAM IDU TI, Jowai were not happy with them they would not even get their needle and syringe.
The report further stated that if the clients did not follow instructions of the project manager or the counsellor, they were denied their required dose and made to wait for a long time to get the required services as per the instruction of the TIPM and counselor of VHAM IDU TI cum OST centre, Jowai.
The team also visited the VHAM Core Composite Targeted Intervention (VHAM CC TI), Ladrymbai in East Jaintia Hills in which further discrepancies were revealed.
The team was informed that sufficient needle syringe stock was available with the TI except for March 2017 where 1500 of them were eaten and destroyed by rats.
However, when one of the field mentors checked the cabinet where the needles and syringes were kept, it was found that rats could not enter a steel cabinet to destroy the needles and syringes.
The team also found that the outreach team from the TI had been distributing expired needles and syringes since January 2016.
In this connection, the outreach team explained that they have brought the issue to the notice of the project manager (PM).
On being questioned, the project manager admitted about her knowledge on the expired needles and syringes but confessed that she was unable to do anything as the nominated ‘in charge’ who is the PM of VHAM IDU TI, Jowai instructed them to keep distributing and that no communication should reach the head office.
The field mentor on closer inspection also recorded the presence of 46 packets (460) of expired needle syringes still in stock and that the outreach team issued five packets (50) on the same morning for distribution among clients.
The recommendations of the fact finding team included the immediate suspension and followed by termination procedures of the key TI staff responsible for the malpractices, forgery and depriving the community members of their right to services in VHAM IDU TI cum OST centre, Jowai.
Among some of the recommendations were a relook at the target of Needle Syringe Exchange Programme and OST clients at VHAM IDU TI centre, Jowai and review of the OST medicine supply from Meghalaya State AIDS Control Society.
