If dissociative anesthetic Ketamine becomes a new drug in Fiji, we could be looking at a high number of fatalities, says a consultant anesthetist and intensivist at Pacific Specialist Healthcare, Doctor Ratu Vereniki Raiwalui.
He said Fiji lacks data on Ketamine usage.
However, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) data indicates that the younger population in the Pacific region, including New Zealand and Australia, were vulnerable to Ketamine use.
Dr Raiwalui said the problems of Ketamine addiction data were yet to be studied or reported hence, there was a need for medical vigilance of the medical professional in identifying addiction or abuse.
“In England and Wales, Ketamine misuse reached an all-time high of 0.8 per cent in 2019-2020,” Dr Raiwalui said.
“The younger age group (16 to 24 years) were the most avid users, with 3.2 per cent using Ketamine during that period.
“Although less prevalent, drug misuse in older adults should not be discounted.”
He said if Ketamine was used as a drug, it could be very fatal.
“Presently we (Fiji) don’t have any data on it (Ketamine).
“That’s why I used the UK and the Welsh data to sort of indicate that it is being used already as a drug and most possibly be used among the younger population.
“If we look at the data on this (Ketamine), in New Zealand and Australia, it’s already occurring, but there are not a lot of studies done.
“The data that we are receiving is from the United Nations Drugs and Crime, where they are presenting data of the Asia-Pacific region.
“That saw that there is a high number of usages in the younger population and not the older population.
“We don’t have data because this is new.”
Dr Raiwalui said this medication was readily available on the black market.
“We have young professionals who deal with these kinds of stuff, and they are picking it out from the market.
“So on the black market, there are a lot of medications that are out there. Not just Ketamine. There are opioids.”
He said there could be severe side effects on these off-the-counter medications on one’s mental and physical state if induced as a drug and in excessive proportions.
“The side effects are so severe it can cause one to commit suicide due to the stress of the anesthetic.
“Imagine, this is just the beginning; once Ketamine and opioids become a problem in Fiji, there is a possibility that suicide rates may also increase.”
Attempts to get comments from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services remained futile.
