More OOAT clinics on cards

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 6

Health and Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra on Monday said 100 more Out Patient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics will be started in remaining districts.

He said after witnessing the high success rate of OOAT clinics across the state, the state government has started 37 clinics in July at Mohali, Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot and Ferozepur districts. Now, a total of 118 OOAT clinics are functional in the state.

“Around 100 more OOAT clinics will be started in the remaining districts at CHCs (Community Health Centres) and at rural dispensaries in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Moga districts by September,” he said.

He clarified that state government had withdrawn the order to ban the open sale of syringes in the state.

Awareness vans

Mohindra flagged off five awareness vans to make people aware about the de-addiction programme. These hi-tech vans would provide information about the treatment facilities and motivate addicts to come forward to join the anti-drug campaign of the state government.