Sirsa SP calls for collective fight against drug menace

Calling drug abuse a growing threat in the region, Sirsa Superintendent of Police Deepak Saharan on Monday said that de-addiction centres are the need of the hour and urged people to work closely with the police to make the district drug-free.

Addressing a gathering in Raj Pura Sahni village, Saharan said that those involved in the drug trade belong in jail and emphasised that eliminating the drug menace is a collective responsibility of both society and authorities. He was present during a programme organised by Jan Shiksha Foundation, a non-profit organisation engaged in various social welfare initiatives in Sirsa district.

Later, a 15-bed charitable facility, Vardaan De-Addiction Centre, was inaugurated in the village. The foundation also runs the Vardaan Charitable Blood Centre in Sirsa city.

A seminar highlighting the ill-effects of drug abuse was also organised on the occasion. RK Siwach, former Registrar of Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, said recovery from addiction is a challenging journey and stressed the crucial role of society in helping addicts reintegrate into the mainstream.

Free OPD consultations and a medical camp were organised at the centre, during which doctors from eye care, general medicine, surgery and Ayurveda examined more than 300 patients.

Ram Bhagat Sheoran, trustee of Jan Shiksha Foundation, said the centre provides both in-patient and out-patient treatment facilities. He added that patients would be treated with dignity and their identities kept confidential, given the social stigma associated with drug addiction.

Around 1,600 people, including 40 sarpanches from nearby villages, attended the event. Alongside the inauguration, the foundation also organised a blood donation camp, in which 125 people donated blood.