New de-addiction centre by Baba Farid University to start soon

Bharat Khanna

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 26

A new drug de-addiction centre under the supervision of Baba Farid University of Health Science, Faridkot, would start soon for which the building has been constructed and furnished in Bathinda Civil Hospital.

Having a capacity of 30 beds, the centre that would be run by Baba Farid University, Faridkot, will cater to drug addict patients who are willing to renounce the contraband. The building has been constructed just adjacent to another de-addiction centre that is a joint venture of Civil Hospital, Bathinda, and the District Red Cross Society. The 20-bedded centre being run jointly by Bathinda Civil Hospital and the Red Cross Society would be merged into the newly coming centre for de addiction.

In contrast to the new de-addiction centre there are many other government-run de-addiction centres that have been left in lurch with no doctors to run these centers.

It’s noteworthy that three out of four psychiatrists had left the job in Bathinda districts following some reasons whereas the psychiatrist blame the odd transfers as a reason behind their resigning while the district health authorities claimed that resignations are fro personal benefits.

Only two weeks ago, Dr Indiver Kalra, a psychiatrist, left the job after his transfer orders for Ropar district had shocked him. Earlier, Dr Kalra was transferred to Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal’s ancestral village, Ghudda. This further left the 25-bedded drug de-addiction centre in Bathinda, where the CM visited in June 2014 and promised to do best for drug de addict patients besides opening more centers, in lurch.

Other Government Run de-addiction Centers in Lurch in Bathinda:

1) Central govt and Red Cross de-addiction centre

Started in February 1992, the first de-addiction centre at the Goniana Road in Bathinda is a joint project of the Red Cross Society and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, ran successfully for sometime. It was being run with 90 per cent funds by the Government of India and 10 percent by Red Cross Bathinda.

But now, for a long time, there has been no permanent doctor at this centre. A retired doctor is rendering part-time services (two hours a day) at a salary of Rs 5,000 per month. Besides, for a long time there is no availability of peon, sweeper, ward boy at this de-addiction centre. No patient has been admitted to the centre since March 2014. However, a project Director and a staff nurse available in the centre.

It also await for financial grants to meet its monthly expenses. In October 2008, even the visit of Rahul Gandhi to this de-addiction centre failed to improve its condition. After Rahul’s visit, there was a smooth flow of grants for some time but then the situation was back to square one. In 2013- 14 it had received a grant of Rs 4.40 lakh to expend on the salaries of employees and medicines for the drug de-addiction patients.

2) De-addiction centre, Talwandi Sabo

It was a ‘dream project’ of the Punjab government to rehabilitate the drug addicts in Talwandi Sabo, where the temporal seat of the Sikhs—Takht Damdama Sahib-is located.

In April 2010, a first of its kind state-level de-addiction centre was set up here at a cost of Rs 2 crore. The Punjab CM inaugurated this 20-bedded de-addiction centre in a magnificent building with much fanfare.

The state cabinet gave special approval for this centre and a psychiatrist, two medical officers, three staff nurses, four security guards and three ward boys were appointed for the care of indoor and outdoor patients. For six months, the centre was at the top in the list of priorities of the health department and the indoor patients got food, medicines and full care. Now, for a long time, there has been no staff nurse, and no funds to give food, medicines and care to the patients while Dr Sunil Gupta is a psychiatrist who was available here for eight hours had resigned for unknown reasons and had opened his own clinic. Before leaving his job Dr Sunil also received transfer orders for district Fatehgarh Sahib.

3) De-addiction centre, Civil Hospital, Bathinda

Twenty five-bedded hospital on the premises of the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, is a joint venture of the Civil Hospital and the Red Cross society. It was established in February 2002. It is also presently working on financial aid from Guru Gobind Singh Refinery. Its running on its own with the money collected from patients by charging Rs 200 per head. A bit of funds are also provided by Bathinda refinery. Earlier, there were two psychiatrists, including Dr Indiver Kalra and Dr Nidhi, but as of now, only one psychiatrist is left after Dr Indiver Kalra had resigned from his post. This centre, however, would now be merged into the 30-bedded new centre build adjacent to it.

However, Civil Surgeon, Bathinda, Dr Tejwant Singh Randhawa, could not give details about the cost of construction on the newly coming center for de-addiction by the Baba Farid Institute, said, “The new centre is coming up here in hospital by the institute while the already being run by us will be merged into it. I don’t have complete details about the new centre.”

When asked if the patients had been left in lurch with shutting down after psychiatrists resigned at the de-addiction centres, being run by the government, Dr Randhawa added, “Doctors had left on their own will and for personal benefits. The state government had tried its best to cater them and give the post in district where they wanted. The new centre would cater to more than 50 patients.”

Dr Arvind Kumar, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, said, “We would soon take the charge of the centre while the already existing ones would be merged into ours. The govt would provide us with the para-medical staff.”