39K registered addicts, yet most Muktsar rehab centres ‘vacant’

Archit Watts

Muktsar, December 8

Over the last few years, a majority of drug addicts in Muktsar district have moved from consuming poppy husk to heroin. However, the Health Department’s de-addiction drive seems to have fizzled out and become irrelevant to the changed reality as most of the government run de-addiction centres are lying empty in the district.

There was just one patient presently admitted to the 50-bed rehabilitation centre at Thehri village here. The treatment is limited to the outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) clinics and giving buprenorphine tablets to addicts.

Shortage of doctors at facilities

• There is only one psychiatrist at the Muktsar Civil Hospital, who is also the SMO. Similarly, the psychiatrist at Gidderbaha Civil Hospital also holds the charge of SMO. There is no psychiatrist at the Malout Civil Hospital
• A government doctor said, “As per the rules, a de-addiction centre should have premises on nearly half acre area, which should not be in the hospital. However, we don’t have such space available here. Further, it needs separate staff.”

As many as 9,000 addicts are registered at OOAT clinics in the district and 30,000 others are registered at the private de-addiction centres. In the past, some people have died due to alleged overdose of drugs as well.

As per details procured on Tuesday, only one or two patients are usually admitted at the de-addiction centre at the Muktsar Civil Hospital at a given time. Only four or five addicts were admitted at the Gidderbaha Civil Hospital during the last one month. Similarly, only four addicts were presently admitted at the de-addiction centre at the Malout Civil Hospital.

Muktsar Civil Hospital Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Dr Rahul Jindal said: “A majority of the addicts are now hooked to heroin and tramadol hydrochloride tablets. Most of them are below the age of 30. As per the state government’s orders and after proper diagnosis, we are giving buprenorphine tablets to the addicts so that they quit all synthetic drugs.”

Sources in the Health Department said that the rehabilitation centre at Thehri village was only proving to be a white elephant. “A counsellor, three staff nurses and three Class IV employees are posted there but hardly anyone is admitted. Further, the duty of the in-charge is changed frequently. The charge of this centre is either given to the SMO of Malout or to the SMO of Gidderbaha. Presently, the doctor is not posted at this centre. The centre was opened in 3.5 acres by spending nearly Rs 4.5 crore in 2015 but the lack of planning has made it a flop project,” sources claimed.

Muktsar CMO Dr Rita Bala said: “It is a fact that a majority of drug addicts are now hooked to ‘chitta’. The post of doctor is lying vacant at the rehabilitation centre in Thehri village, which is located far from the Malout town. We have a capacity to admit 10 drug addicts each at the Civil Hospitals in Muktsar, Malout and Gidderbaha. The addicts are admitted there for two-three days and then sent to the OOAT clinics.”

She said: “When OOAT clinics were opened, training was provided to some doctors in other districts for de-addiction treatment. However, the training was not given in Muktsar district. The medicine here is given for a few days during every visit to OOAT clinic and the addicts later start injecting drugs, which also leads to a frequent spike in Hepatitis-C and HIV positive cases.”