K’thala doctor to get award for rehab work

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 26

Of the nine services recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for people who consume drugs, the Kapurthala-based Navjeevan Kendra, started in 2007, is the only centre in the state where eight of these are being provided.

In charge of the pioneering de-addiction centre, Dr Sandeep Bhola (47) is set to receive the coveted International Award for Excellence in the field of drug de-addiction. Chosen by the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP), Dr Bhola will receive the award at a conference being held in Vienna on July 3.

The ISSUP is an umbrella body, working in consultation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, WHO, Organisation of American States and the African Union.

Under Dr Bhola, the Kapurthala de-addiction centre (which has over 10,000 registered drug users) has got several firsts to its credit.

While it was the first centre in the state to introduce ‘methadon’ as a treatment option for drug users in 2012, it is also the first centre in the state where drug users were offered various modalities to choose from for treatment rather than the standard practice of sticking to one method.