Asylum Seekers On Manus Island Given Drug Known To Harm Mental Health

The ABC reports that from late 2012, detainees on Manus Island were given the anti-malarial mefloquine, a drug that is known to cause “agitation, mood swings, panic attacks, confusion, hallucinations, aggression, psychosis and suicidal thoughts” in some who take it. 

You may wish to review the important warnings in the mefloquine product insert @Ayanshiino. pic.twitter.com/KlSS0U8VSk

— Dr. Remington Nevin (@RemingtonNevin) February 2, 2016

Of course, it’s a well-known fact detention camps are A+ places to address one’s mental health concerns pretty adept at crushing detainees’ psyches, so throwing this one in the mix probably wasn’t the best thing that could have happened.

Former staff on the island say mefloquine was introduced because it only needs to be taken once a week compared to the previous treatment’s daily routine. Only a small percentage of detainees were found to be following the daily dosage, resulting in staff choosing between courting malaria on the island or the chance of exacerbating detainees’ mental health conditions. 

FWIW, the drug has been under intense scrutiny on our own shores. One malaria expert told the ABC that in ideal circumstances, anyone looking to take the drug should undergo psychological assessment beforehand.

Former Defence Force personnel have also come forward about the after-effects of the drug; Stuart McCarthy, who took the drug during a 2001 deployment in east Africa, told Lateline “it’s simply not a drug that should be taken when given to people in in a high stress environment or particularly when they’re facing trauma.”

That also backs up the experiences of foreign armed forces who’ve also moved away from using the drug. 

A spokesperson for the Immigration Department said newer treatments were now on offer to detainees, four years after mefloquine was first administered. 

Source: ABC.
Photo: Getty.