A total of 86,371 new patients were registered for treatment at 198 Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics, including private clinics, across Punjab during the lockdown period. In the state’s war against drugs, 500,552 patients have been treated in OOAT clinics, de-addiction centres and private centres till May 6, this year.
“OOAT clinic program is a complete success and one the most prominent effort in de-addiction treatment across the world. Due to improved registration at OOAT clinics, duration of take home medication was increased to 21 days which gave a major relief to the patients as well as respite to the staff,” said the Special Task Force (STF) chief-cum-ADGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu on Monday.
Sidhu said that the Government’s Drug Abuse Prevention Officers (DAPO) program supervises community activities for preventing drug abuse in their neighborhood and to link drug users with de-addiction treatment centers. Approximately, 5.43 lakh DAPOs have already been registered out of which 88,710 are officials and 4,54,332 are private citizens, he added.
The STF chief said that the STF has designed ‘Comprehensive Action against Drug Abuse (CADA)’ strategy which is based on Enforcement, De-addiction, Prevention (EDP) approach. “It is 360 degree approach to control drug abuse in the state and seeks to synergize efforts of all Government Departments as well as enlist active participation of all sections of the society to control the menace of drug or intoxicant abuse,” he said adding that 2,05,619 drug abuse victims have been contacted out of which 98,278 victims have been sent to de-addiction or OOAT centers so far.