CHANDIGARH: As 400-odd drug addicts are flocking daily to the de-addiction clinics set up by the Amarinder Singh Government across the state, the government has decided to open these Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics in all the Community Health Centres (CHC) of Punjab. In the first phase, around 12 clinics will commence work in SAS Nagar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Roopnagar districts at the CHC level.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra said that to provide health care services and treatment to addicts at the village level, the health department was going to open OOAT clinics in all CHCs and people would get the treatment close to home without being admitted to hospital.
He said that health authorities had been strictly instructed to ensure functioning of clinics and centres as per the Standard Operating Protocol and mark daily attendance of persons visiting these clinics.
He said that to meet shortage of psychiatrists or supporting staff, the District De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Society had been mandated to recruit them. He said all medicines were available in the Central Warehouse.
