Exactly 496 addicts of heroin, poppy, hashish, alcoholic and synthetic chemicals have been treated at the local Drug Rehabilitation Centre during the ongoing year 2022. Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) in Multan is the only centre across south Punjab, working under the supervision of the Social Welfare Department on Mattital Road. The sole purpose of the DRC is to treat and then rehabilitate the drug users and revert them as useful and productive citizens of society, said Abdul Maalik, the focal person of DRC while talking to APP, here on Sunday.
Since its inception in 2011, it rehabilitated nearly 4782 drug addicts from across south Punjab. It has the capacity to accommodate 50 patients simultaneously. He said that there was less number of rehab patients from 2011 to 2013 as people had no information regarding the center but gradually the situation improved. Maalik, however, observed that a good number of people were contacting the center for the rehabilitation of drug addicts these days.
Replying to a question, he said that the centre offered its services to those drug addicts who were willing to get treatment. However, chronic or violent drug addicts were referred to the Nishtar Hospital. About Drug Rehabilitation Centre, he shared that 22 staffers, including MBBS doctors, nurses and other supporting staffers were working at the facility. The centre provides medicines, residence, food, clothes, recreation, training and free vocational training.
Responding to another question about how many days are enough for the rehabilitation of drug addicts, the official said that about two weeks were enough for the rehabilitation of a drug addict. He, however, added that in some cases, they took three weeks for detoxification (treatment). About the nature of drug addicts rehabilitated at the centre, Maalik maintained about 70% were heroin addicts.—APP
