NEW DELHI: The Centre plans to build a 10,000-strong workforce of medical and allied healthcare professionals for de-addiction services by 2029 as part of its goal of achieving a Nasha Mukt Bharat, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said on Monday.
Launching a capacity-building programme for healthcare professionals engaged in drug de-addiction services, Nadda said the ministry aims to train 2,000 service providers in the current financial year, followed by 3,000 in 2027-28 and 5,000 in 2028-29.
The programme aims to improve access to evidence-based, patient-centred addiction care and strengthen the prevention, identification, assessment, treatment and management of substance use disorders.
Nadda said achieving a Nasha Mukt Bharat required a coordinated, whole-of-government approach extending beyond treatment to prevention, enforcement and action against drug trafficking. He said fragmented efforts and departments working in silos had created gaps in coordination and service delivery.
He cited the Vision Document on Narcotic Control: 2026-2029, unveiled by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, as an effort to address these gaps by defining the responsibilities and targets of various ministries and departments. He stressed the need for sustained inter-ministerial coordination and collective accountability.
Nadda said the Health Ministry would focus on strengthening treatment services, training healthcare professionals and improving de-addiction centres. He also highlighted the need to support facilities under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through training, institutional strengthening and adequate financial resources, alongside cooperation with law enforcement and border-management agencies.
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said protecting young people from drugs was crucial to nurturing a healthy, empowered and productive generation.
Dr Anju Dhawan, professor and chief of the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) at AIIMS, Delhi, said the programme would be conducted through six institutions under the Drug De-Addiction Programme (DDAP), with NDDTC serving as the coordinating centre.
The participating institutions are NDDTC, AIIMS, New Delhi, located in Ghaziabad; the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru; the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh; the Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP), Ranchi; Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi; and AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
The curriculum will cover substances such as alcohol, cannabis, opioids, sleeping tablets and inhalants, as well as the management of substance use disorders among specific groups, including women and adolescents.
The programme will use a blended learning model comprising live online sessions, in-person training and self-paced online courses. Online training for doctors and medical officers will run through weekly sessions over 12 weeks, combining lectures with clinical case discussions. The six institutions will conduct sessions simultaneously, with a combined capacity of 300 participants a week.
In-person training will be delivered through five-day programmes using a common curriculum. Online modules will also be available for different healthcare workers. Doctors can access the NDDTC-developed NAAT online course, while NIMHANS’ Addiction Rx application will provide support for treatment-related prescribing. NIMHANS e-learning modules will be used for counsellors and psychologists, while NDDTC’s online course will support nurses, community health officers (CHOs) and auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs). The respective DDAP institutions will issue certificates upon completion.
The initiative will cover doctors, nurses, counsellors, psychologists, social workers and other medical and allied healthcare personnel involved in addiction treatment. Participants will be nominated by state governments through the National Health Mission, as well as by central government services, including the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces and Railways. Personnel at addiction treatment facilities funded by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will also be covered.
The Vision Document on Narcotic Control: 2026-2029 outlines the Union government’s strategy to tackle the entire drug trade ecosystem over the next three years.