Drug-addicts and HIV cases take worrisome turn in Kokrajhar

KOKRAJHAR: Massive increase of drug users, especially, among the youths and detection of more HIV positive cases has become a worrisome issue for the people of Kokrajhar. Kokrajhar has become a hot destination for drug business and users since the past several years and the increasing number of users has become a matter of grave concern.

There are many drug addict youths in the district, some of whom have died of excessive use of drugs. Recently, a drug-addict son, Padopani Brahma of Kokrajhar town thrashed his mother to death after she refused to give money, which he demanded to purchase drugs. Son of a retired principal of a college in Kokrajhar, Padopani Brahma is now in Kokrajhar jail. There have been many reports of drug-addict sons in some well-to-do families and parents in high profile jobs in Kokrajhar and many have so far died due to extensive use of drugs and other narcotic substances. It is also a matter of fact that many parents and guardians are not cooperative with interested groups or organizations in dealing with the drug menace and most of them take the option to keep their sons’ bad habits a secret. Many of them refuse to share the family problems for using drugs and hide the fact just to protect their prestige.

After an alarming increase of drug users in Kokrajhar, now the detection of cases of HIV positive has become a matter of shock in the district. The continuous increase of the numbers of drug users and HIV cases of the district are serious issues for the people of Kokrajhar district as the use of drugs has reached even in remote and economically backward areas. But despite this fact, no organization, NGO or group has come forward to tackle this menace. The police are seen simply looking out for drug users and putting them to jail but no effective crackdown on the suppliers and hawkers of drugs and their networking is taken.

Talking to a section of media persons, Dr Kaushik Das, currently holding the position of District TB officer at R.N. Brahma Civil Hospital in Kokrajhar, said that the detection of HIV positive cases has been rising alarmingly and many fresh cases are reported in the current year in Kokrajhar district. He said that according to the recent data, there has been a total of 94 HIV positive cases under treatment in Kokrajhar district as of now. He also said that between January to June, 2024, Gossaigaon recorded 7 new cases, including both male and female and additionally, the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICDC), Kokrajhar reported 15 cases in the same period inclusive of male, female and 2 drug users.

Apart from detection of HIV positive, cases of Syphilis have also been identified in the district, he said adding that there were a total of 8 cases with 7 male and 1 female suffering from Syphilis in Kokrajhar district. He also said that the Kokrajhar R.N. Brahma Civil Hospital has been actively working with the national NGOs to raise awareness about the HIV and syphilis prevention. He further said that all the patients of HIV positive has been under treatment and medications for the HIV disease are readily available with a sufficient supply obtained from Guwahati. However, it is assumed that the number of HIV positive cases could be far more than official records as the detection is found only when the blood test is done.

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