Issuing strict instructions to all the Civil Surgeons to give priority to drug addiction cases, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Department on Friday made them “duty bound” to admit the patient suffering from addiction and start their treatment as early as possible.
At the same time, the Department has warned them of “strict departmental action” in any reported case of dereliction of duty on the part of the Civil Surgeon.
“The State Government is fully aware of the condition arising out of the spate in drug addiction cases and is prepared to discharge its moral and constitutional duty. We do have sufficient staff as far as the de-addiction centres are concerned, besides adequate availability of essential medicines at all the de-addiction or rehab centres,” said the state Health and Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra.
He said that social stigma is attached with the drug addiction which prohibits public to openly come forward and get treatment in the government institutions. “Any patient suffering from drug addiction and who is not willing for indoor admission may get daily dose from Outpatient Opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) clinics,” he said.
Elaborating on the concept of OOAT clinics, the Minister said that it is a comprehensive program to bring in qualitative improvement in the lives of youth suffering from drug addiction. OOAT programme was launched by the Health Department to provide outdoor healthcare services to the patients suffering from drug addiction, he said adding that Punjab now has around 81 OOAT clinics.
“Till date, more than 8459 patients have been registered and are on treatment, and patient retention rate currently is 84.05 percent whereas till date, total footfall at OOAT clinics has been recorded as 2,74,938,” said Mohindra.
He said that central registry for online tracking of patients has been first time implemented in Punjab. “Patient may take medicine from any of the functional OOAT Clinic and every patient is provided with UID number so that he may take his daily dose from a single clinic and duplicity is avoided,” he said.
He added that any patient can resume their routine activities and go back to their family after taking daily dose from OOAT clinics.
At the same time, the Minister appealed the general public, especially the parents, to voluntarily come forward and get their children examined at the government institutions, if they suspect their children indulged in drug addiction.
“The early diagnosis and treatment of a drug addict is the simplest way to save the life of the patient,” he said.