Punjab Government has prepared a special policy for strengthening the private as well as the government drug de-addiction centres under which the top quality treatment facilities would be provided to the victims of drug addiction.
The state Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu announced the decision during the first meeting of psychiatrists doing private practice as well as those in government service.
Sidhu said that the purpose of the meeting is to further strengthen the campaign started by the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh aimed at the eradication of drugs of which the strengthening of drug de-addiction is an important part.
“The main aim of the meeting is to provide top quality treatment facilities to the drug victims in the shortest time possible,” he said adding that it is mandatory that new drug de-addiction centres and OOAT clinics be established in the State and it would be done by the State Government soon.
Responding the problems raised by psychiatrists in the meeting, the Minister said that a committee would be constituted for the doctors and the drug de-addiction centres engaged in private practice and the recommendations made by the committee would form the base of the strategy to be chalked out with regard to the drug de-addiction programme.
He assured the doctors and management of private centres that the Punjab Government is fully committed to implement the anti-drug strategy and a meeting every month would be held to sort out their problems.
The Minister also directed the Civil Surgeons to run weekly programmes to exhort the students of Classes IX and XII to stay away from drugs.
He also assured the management of private de-addiction centres and private practitioners that their problems will be resolved in phase manner. “Soon instructions will be issued to authorities to expedite the procedure as well as renew the licence of private centres within a month after the inspection at district level,” he said adding that it was also decided to close compulsory urine screening.
Special Task Force (STF) chief Gurpreet Deo said that all stakeholders need to come on a common platform to combat drugs as it is a global problem. She called for total coordination among all the departments to ensure the success of ‘anti drug campaign’ of the State Government.
At the same time, she assured the doctors and management of the centres who were present that no investigation would be carried out during the treatment of victims of drugs and their identity would also be kept a secret.
The state Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Satish Chandra said that all efforts are being made to improve the performance of OOAT clinics and centres by the Drug Administration as per the guidelines set under the drug de-addiction programmes.
Calling for the stoppage of illegal sale of the habit forming medicines, Chandra said that in order to keep vigilance on selling of habit making drugs, it is important that only a few selected chemists be allowed to sell these medicines and the Government is considering this aspect.
He also assured providing top notch services and treatment facilities in the drug de-addiction centres as long as the treatment continues at these centres.