6K drug addicts skip treatment at OOAT centres

Concerned over several drug users skipping treatment (daily dose of medicine) at the Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) centres, the district administration has embarked on a campaign to provide medication at their doorstep.

Amritsar has 22,484 drug users registered with various OOAT centres in the district. Of these, only 16,000 addicts are collecting medicine from the centres.

Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, who held a meeting with health officials in this regard, said, “There are 43 OOAT centres in Amritsar. A total of 22,484 patients have been registered and around 6,000 addicts are skipping their daily dose of medicine.”

“We have decided to reach them with the help of panchayats and ASHA workers. We will motivate them to continue treatment at the government run de-addiction and rehabilitation centres,” she said.

Sawhney stated, “ Apart from free medicine, the patients are helped to ween away from drugs with the help of medical experts and councillors.”

To rehabilitate them, they are trained in skilled occupations as per their wishes, she added. The interested people could call at helpline number 18001376754.