The Tribune impact: De-addiction pills supply restored to Gurdaspur Red Cross de-addiction centre

Ravi Dhaliwal

Gurdaspur, November 30

The Punjab Government has restored the supply of buprenorphine tablets to the Gurdaspur Red Cross de-addiction centre. Due to a “technical hitch”, the supply of these tablets was stopped by the Health Department recently.

Buprenorphine tablets are the lifeline on which both government and private de-addiction centres function. This medicine is required for the treatment of people who have shunned the drug habit for good but are feeling acute withdrawal symptoms.

The Tribune had highlighted on November 24 how the centre was on the verge of closure if the Health Department did not restore the supply at the earliest. Fearing an exodus of addicts, Romesh Mahajan, Project Director, had even made alternative arrangements to give patients some other drug for their treatment.

Partap Singh Bajwa, Leader of Opposition, had also taken up the issue. Raman Bahl, Chairman of Punjab Health Systems Corporation, Ajoy Sharma, Secretary (Health), Gurdaspur DC Himanshu Aggarwal and Civil Surgeon Dr Harbhajan Ram Nady worked in unison to ensure the centre was back on its feet.