“The Punjab Government has prepared a special policy for the strengthening of private as well as the government drug de-addiction centres under which the top quality treatment facilities would be provided to the victims of drug addiction.” This was disclosed here today by the Health and Family Welfare Minister, Punjab, Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu during the first meeting of the psychiatrists doing private practice as well as those in Government service. On the occasion, STF Chief Mrs. Gurpreet Deo, IG Mr. R. K. Jaiswal, Additional Chief Secretary Health & Family Welfare, Mr. Satish Chandra, Director Drug Administration Mr. Kahan Singh Pannu, M.D. MHM Mr. Amit Kumar, Political Secretary/Health Minister Mr. Harkeshchand Sharma Machlikalan, Director Health Services Jaspal Kaur and owners of the private centres were also present.During the course of meeting, Mr. Sidhu said that the purpose of the meeting is to further strengthen the campaign started by the Chief Minister Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh aimed at the eradication of drugs of which the strengthening of drug de-addiction is an important part. The main aim of the meeting is to provide top quality treatment facilities to the drug victims in the shortest time possible. He also divulged that now the youth of Punjab are heading for the drug de-addiction centres for making a new beginning in life. It is mandatory that new drug de-addiction centres and OOAT Clinics be established in the state and it would be done by the State Government soon.Responding the problems raised by psychiatrists in the meeting, the Minister said that a committee would be constituted for the doctors and the drug de-addiction centres engaged in private practice and the recommendations made by the committee would form the base of the strategy to be chalked out with regard to the drug de-addiction programme. He assured the doctors and management of private centres that the Punjab Government is fully committed to implement the anti drug strategy and a meeting every month would be held to sort out their problems.The minister also directed the Civil Surgeons to run weekly programmes to exhort the students of 9th-12th classes to stay away from drugs.
On the occasion, STF Chief Gurpreet Deo said that all stakeholders need to come on a common platform to combat drugs as it is a global problem. She called for total coordination among all the departments to ensure the success of ‘Anti Drug Campaign’ of the State Government. She further said that the private centres are more in number than the Government ones so that calls for their monitoring so as to detect the violations of the norms. She assured the doctors and management of the centres who were present that no investigation would be carried out during the treatment of victims of drugs and their identity would also be kept a secret.In his address on the occasion, Additional Chief Secretary Mr. Satish Chandra said that all efforts are being made to improve the performance of the OOAT clinics and centres by the Drug Administration as per the guidelines set under the drug de-addiction programmes. Calling for the stoppage of the illegal sale of the habit forming medicines, Mr. Satish Chandra said that in order to keep vigilance on selling of habit making drugs, it is important that only a few selected chemists be allowed to sell these medicines and the Government is considering this aspect. He also assured providing top notch services and treatment facilities in the drug de-addiction centres as long as the treatment continues at these centres.The Commissioner, Drug Administration, Mr. Kahan Singh Pannu said that instructions have already been issued by the Punjab Government to take stringent action against those who are violating the rules regarding the sale of habit making drugs. He said that every suggestion given in this meeting would be seriously considered by the government so that the performance of drug de-addiction centres be improved. He said that the purpose of the medicines available in the Drug De-addiction Centers was to remove the habit of deadly addictive drugs and to make them drug-free. On the occasion, Mr. Satya Sharma, President Indian Association of Private Psychiatry, Punjab and Chandigarh Branch, said that it has been proved by World Health Organization that there is no adverse effect on patient's health with Buprenorphine and Naloxoen medicine. He said appealed to the meeting, instructions of the same pattern of drug de-addiction programs in Punjab should be implemented and only with the opinion of technical experts, new policies would be made.In this meeting, the Health Minister assured the management of private de-addiction centres and private practitioners that their problems will be resolved in phase manner and soon instructions will be issued to authorities to expedite the procedure as well as renew the licence of private centres within a month after the inspection at district level. It was also decided to close compulsory urine screening in the meeting.