‘Directed for fee regulation at rehabilitation centres’
SRINAGAR: Minister for Health and Medical EducationSakeena Itoo today said that all Drug De-addiction centres are fully functional in J&K and directed for fee regulation at all centres for affordable rehabilitation of victims.
The Minister made these remarks while replying to a question of LegislatorSurjeet Singh Salathia on Drug Addictionin Legislative Assembly today.
She highlighted that the Health and Education departments along-with law enforcement agencies are playing an active role to fight the menace of drug abuse in society. She added that strict instructions have been issued to head of all educational institutions (colleges and schools) to install CCTVs in and around their campuses to check any kind of irregular activities.
The Minister also lauded the role of NGOs in dealing with this alarming situation across J&Kadding that their support is must for combating this social evil.
While giving reply to the questionthe Minister said that 166 drug abuse cases have been reported in district Samba from the date of establishment of de-addiction centre at District Hospital Sambawith 114 Alcoholic and 62 Heroin & Cannabis affectedwhile as six patients have recovered till date. She added that the Government is taking concrete steps to curb this menace in the UT of J&K in general and Samba district in particularlike awareness Lectures and Educational ActivitiesEstablishment of De-addiction CentreOutreach Programs in Educational Institutions and CommunitiesPanchayat-Level Awareness ActivitiesDoor-to-Door Survey and Identification as well as Camps in Hotspot Areas where a roster has been constituted for the organization of awareness and treatment camps in hotspot and other vulnerable areas. She added that these camps are led by psychiatrists and counsellors to provide both preventive education and initial treatment support.
The Minister also informed that Addiction Treatment Facility has been fully established at District HospitalSamba since February 2024 sponsored by NDDTC (AIIMS New Delhi) under MOSIEpresently working on OPD basis with services like OPD by PsychiatristCounselling Services and Substance Substitute therapy.
While commenting on the subjectSpeaker Abdul Rahim Rather advised the Minister to take suggestions from a scientific document prepared by political representatives of a partyas it outlines effective and detailed measures for combating this social evil.
The Minister informed the house that Government has already started working on this reportbesides the topics related to Drug Addiction have already been made part of the curriculum.
LegislatorsJustice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi; Dr. Shafi Ahmad Wani; Muzaffar Iqbal Khan; Pawan Gupta; Tanvir Ali Sadiq; Narinder Singh; Dr. Rameshwar Singh; Dr. Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri; Balwant Singh Mankotiaraised supplementary questions on the subject.
