Govt rehab centre a ray of hope for drug addicts

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 1

The government drug rehabilitation centre, which recently started from the building of the Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) Centre at Shekhe village, has become a beacon of hope for drug dependents to lead a normal life and contribute to society’s development.

The centre has a full-fledged round-the-clock 20-bedded facility and has a medical officer, a counsellor, ward boys, nursing staff and others who help drug dependents overcome the problem.

At present, a total of eight drug dependents in their 20s are under rehab after completion of their detoxification treatment at the drug de-addiction centre, Civil Hospital. The rehabilitation centre has a gym and facilities of music, indoor and outdoor games.

A gym trainer has also been hired and he visits the centre daily to ensure that the inmate do their work out regularly. They have now developed the hobby of exercising in the gym.

Apart from that, they also play table tennis, badminton and carrom. The inmates are also being offered a three-time nutritious diet here, which is prepared by a cook appointed by the Health Department.

Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma said classes of yoga and meditation would start soon at the centre and whole treatment was given free of cost.

He said the process of recruiting additional staff for the centre was on.

The DC added that the department had also tied up with an NGO which would start offering three-month certificate courses in computers, welding, plumbing and electrical jobs to the inmates so that they do not face any kind of problem in getting employment once they complete rehab treatment.

Sharma said a crackdown on drug peddlers by the state government and programmes had created awareness among the public. He said as a result, drug dependents were visiting the centre for treatment.