Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh said that the Health Department has come up with a novel initiative by collaborating with the NGO Narcotics Anonymous (NA) to fight the menace of drug abuse in the state.
The minister shared this information while presiding over a meeting with the state level members of the NA and department officials. He further said that the significant step will also help to dispel myths and misconceptions, besides encouraging open and honest discussions about drug addiction to foster empathy and understanding.
Addressing the meeting, Dr Balbir Singh said that drug abuse is a growing concern in Punjab, drug abuse not only leads to societal problems but the injectable drug users are also prone to more dangerous diseases such as HIV, HCV and other communicable diseases such as TB.
The Minister said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led state government is at the forefront in providing free de-addiction services in Punjab as 529 OOAT clinics, 36 treatment centers and 19 Rehabilitation centres have made operational.
He stressed on rehabilitation to decrease the relapse rate of the drug abuse patients and NA can play a leading role in achieving this goal. The Minister added that this collaboration will help in overcoming the problem of drug abuse in the state.
Underlining the role of NA, Assistant Director (Mental Health) Dr Sandeep Bhola said the drug abuse patient has a tendency to share his thoughts openly with his peers than with the treating doctor.
“This is where the peer educators of NA can immensely help in solving the obstacles of Drug abusers on path to drug de-addiction,” he added.
Assistant Director Dr Manju Bansal and Medical Officer Dr Harpal Singh also participated in the meeting.
The representatives of the NA assured the Health Minister of their cooperation in eradicating drug abuse from Punjab.