First rehab centre for women in state inaugurated

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 22

Sensing the need for a rehabilitation centre for female drug addicts, Dr JPS Bhatia of The Hermitage Rehab Home, Verka-Majitha bypass, has come up with the first rehab home for women in the state. The centre was inaugurated in the presence of principal secretary, health, Vini Mahajan here today.

Dr Bhatia said, “Women have been victims of substance abuse for long, but now they are also coming up to get themselves de-addicted. We are getting many female patients. Earlier, we got a university student, who was addicted to heroin. Later, we treated her entire friend circle of the 12 girls.”

He said young students often entered companionship with males. If the male partner happened to be a drug addict, chances of the girl getting addicted also increased tremendously. “After addiction to tobacco and alcohol, females with obsession for party drugs and herion are also surfacing,” he added.

Dr Bhatia said the new facility would make it possible for family members to stay with the patient during the rehab process. “Families will also undergo training through our family structured programme,” he added.

He said, “As women respond differently to addiction, a need for gender specific treatment has been felt for long.” Defining addiction, Dr Bhatia said, “Addiction is not limited to drugs only. It may be to a relationship, mobile, internet or even gambling.”

He added that the sad part was that women in addiction undergo multi-folded trauma as compared to men.

He said, “Women suffer more stigma, guilt, shame, loss of relationships and the worst of all unavailability of proper and good treatment. Women who are suffering with this disease are objectified. They are physically and sexually abused.”