Frequent thefts of buprenorphine tablets has Health Dept worried

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Muktsar, December 5

The frequent theft of buprenorphine tablets, which are used to treat drug addicts at the outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) clinics, is a major worry for officials of the Health Department across the state.

On November 29, some unidentified persons barged into an OOAT clinic at Harike Kalan village here and ran away with 1,530 tablets. Earlier, in December last year, 4,000 buprenorphine tablets were stolen from the Gidderbaha Civil Hospital.

In September this year, 3,500 tablets were stolen from the Kharar Civil Hospital, while seven years ago in the same month, nearly 11,000 tablets were stolen from Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar.

In November 2019, nearly 2,000 tablets were stolen from the OOAT clinic at the premises of Central Jail in Bathinda.

A senior functionary in the Health Department said proper record was being maintained of buprenorphine tablets and some theft cases had been solved as well.