Seeing the magnitude of drug menace in Punjab, the Centre has proposed the setting up of a National Rehabilitation and Research Centre in the State.
The decision was taken by the Central Government recently, but the State authorities are yet to get the detailed information considering that “it’s just a proposal”.
“We have got to know that the national rehab centre has been planned to be set up in Punjab. But, we are yet to receive any official information regarding this like where it would be set up, what it would focus on, among other specifications,” a senior health official told The Pioneer requesting anonymity.
The proposal to set up the national centre for drug addicts’ rehabilitation follows a survey, conducted by the Centre, suggesting better rehabilitation for drug addicts in the State.
Alarmed over the large proportion the problem has attained just ahead the State went for lok Sabha polls that cost the ruling combine loss on seven out of 13 seats in the State, the State Government went into damage control mode.
Soon after results in May, the State Government wasted no time in launching a State-wide comprehensive plan to check the drug menace besides initiating steps to rehabilitate drug addicts simultaneously.
In this regard, the State has already set up a Drug De-addiction and Rehabilitation Board to ensure better coordination among various departments with the aim to eradicate the drug menace from the State.
More to the point, a total of 18 rehabilitation centres are operating across the State at present. The State, however, is aiming to set up at least one such centre in every district of the State.
The State Government, in its budget, had proposed to set up rehabilitation centres for drug addicts in each district, taking the number to 22, at a cost of Rs100 crore hoping that the scourge of drugs will be wiped out this from out State “in coming two years”.
More than 2.50 lakh drug addicts have so far been treated at out-patient departments of various Government hospitals, whereas indoor treatment had been provided to 7,874 persons at its 21 drug de-addiction centres.