More than 26,000 new drug addicts have joined the Punjab Government-run Drug Addiction Program during the curfew. Under this program, the Health Department is constantly supplying medicines in all districts to ensure treatment of patients so that these services do not affect at any level across the State.
Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said that a special campaign is being launched to register new patients under the Drug Addiction Program, and in just 20 days, more than 26,000 patients have been registered. “In case of non-availability of therapeutic services, the patient is likely to leave treatment which can be fatal for them. Considering the circumstances, take home dose is now extended for 21 days. The medicine is being released to the patient only after the advice of the psychiatrist,” he said.
Sidhu said that as a major relief to drug addicts during this challenging period, 198 OOAT clinics, 35 Government De-Addiction Centers and 108 Licensed private De-addiction centers have been allowed to give the dose of buprenorphine plus naloxone drugs to registered patients after being evaluated by a psychiatric doctor.
PUNJAB ITI STUDENTS TO STITCH MASKS FREE FOR ADMN, PANCHAYATS
Contributing their bit in Punjab’s war against coronavirus, the students of state’s ITIs have voluntarily offered their services to stitch masks free of cost for civil and police administration and the Panchayats.
“The Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has appealed to the staff and students to contribute as much as the Department can in this war. On his appeal, the staff and students of ITIs have offered this service,” said the state Principal Secretary (Technical Education and Industrial Training) Anurag Verma. He said that ITIs are running trades of sewing technology, fashion technology etc, and 2000 students of these trades have volunteered. Each student can stitch about 25 masks daily.
“I have written a letter to all Deputy Commissioners that they can get masks stitched from the students of ITIs free of cost. About 50,000 masks can be stitched daily for District Administration,” said Verma adding that he has also shared the names of ITIs, name and phone number of Principal and the number of students who have volunteered to do this work.
400 SHGs MAKING MEDICALLY VIABLE MASKS, GLOVES; RUNNING COMMUNITY KITCHENS
More than 400 Self Help Groups (SHGs), formed of urban poor women by Punjab Local Bodies Department, are active in the State playing an instrumental role in providing a healing touch to the public by operating their community kitchens, preparing food, making medically viable masks and gloves. Local Bodies Minister Brahm Mohindra said that in this lockdown period, Urban Local Bodies has been successful in motivating these SHGs to render their services for the social cause, which would also help them to substantiate their income. “SHGs have been getting advance orders from the Government as well as from the private institutions for their masks at competitive rate of Rs 20 to 25 per mask. These masks are medically viable because these have been prepared as per the guidelines and the consultation provided by the Health Department,” he said adding that out of total 6200 SHGs formed by the department, only 400 are active currently.