Secy Health reviews functioning of drug de-addiction centres in JK

Jammu, Sep 22: Secretary, Health & Medical Education (H&ME), Bhupinder Kumar, Thursday chaired a review meeting to monitor progress on functioning of Drug De-addiction Centres in Jammu and Kashmir.
Under Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyan, it was decided to operationalize these Drug De-addiction Centres in each district of the UT to provide counselling, treatment and rehabilitating services to patients of drug addiction and substance abuse.
It was informed in the meeting that de-addiction facilities have been operationalized in 18 districts across the UT. The facilities in the remaining two districts shall also be made functional by the end of October.
The Chief Medical Officers informed that the campaign of Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyan is being implemented in letter and spirit with outreach camps and regular Information Education and Communication (IEC) for De-addiction activities is being carried out at Block and Panchayat level. They further informed that in collaboration with Social Welfare Department, the Health Department has mobilized the drug addicts for registration in their respective Drug De-addiction centres. These centres are not only providing curative services but they are also screening the subjects for other infections due to IV drug abuse of injections like HIV, Hepatitis B & C.
Head of the Departments of Psychiatry, GMC Jammu and Srinagar apprised the meeting of refresher trainings of doctors and staff nurses for handling the drug addict patients being carried out in their respective institutions.
Secretary complimented the Principals and CMOs for establishing de-addiction services in their respective institutes within a short span of time and also for increase in footfall of patients in these de-addiction centres.
He issued directions to all the stakeholders for further strengthening and consolidating the de-addiction services across the UT. Drugs and logistics must be available in all the facilities ensuring no out of stock positions of drugs and diagnostics at any time. These clinics should be made more people friendly so that they access the services without any difficulty. It was also directed for strengthening the diagnostic services for screening for hepatitis B&C in both the GMCs.
The meeting was attended by Ayushi Sudan, MD NHM, J&K, Dr. Shashi Sudan, Principal GMC Jammu, Dr. Samia Rashid, Principal GMC Srinagar, Dr. Sameer Mattoo, Project Director, JKSACS, HoDs Psychiatry GMC Jammu and Srinagar, HoDs Gastroenterology GMC Jammu and Srinagar, Divisional Level Nodal Officer, Nasha Mukt Abhiyan Jammu and Kashmir, CMOs and senior officers of Health & Medical Education Department.