Amarinder focuses on strengthening network of de-addiction and rehabilitation centres

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today directed the health department to strengthen the network of Out Patient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) as well as other de-addiction and rehabilitation while also ordering a waiver of the Rs 200 user admission charges at the government run centres.

The waiver of admission charges would be in addition to the free treatment already announced by the chief minister for drug abuse victims coming to the various centres.

Linking the centres with Aadhaar would ensure prevention of duplicate registration, said the chief minister, at a meeting with officials from various districts of the state, according to an official release.

Expressing concern about reports that some private centres had sales of over Rs one lakh per day for Buprenorphine, Chief Minister Singh ordered the police and health officials to crack down aggressively on sale of de-addiction drugs, which were being misused, usually leading to dangerous consequences, including death.

He asked the officials to undertake strenuous check on sub-letting of pharmacies.

The Chief Minister was apprised of the progress of the pilot project launched to track drug sales against prescription from chemists in order to check unauthorised sales.

Singh agreed with the views expressed by PPCC president Sunil Jakhar that party MLAs should be involved in making a perceptible change on the ground. Jakhar earlier attributed the problem to political patronage provided to drug trade by the previous government, the statement said.

The chief minister reiterated his previous instructions to the police and administrative officials to give due respect to the elected representatives. They should work together to make Punjab completely drug-free, he added.

Chief Minister Singh said his government will give rehabilitated addicts priority in self-employment schemes under Ghar Ghar Rozgar programme. He suggested considering informers for government jobs as an incentive.

Health department officials informed the meeting about 'Navjeevan' - a mobile application launched for registration of drug addicts. Another app would be launched soon to enable the people to provide information anonymously, they disclosed.

The meeting decided to start mobile OOAT vans to visit villages to provide door-step medication to the addicts.

The meeting was informed by police officials that 40 per cent of the prison inmates in the state faced charges of drug related offences, the statement said.