Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Mahmood Khan has approved to extend the Mass Rehabilitation Program (MRP) for drug addicted people to all districts of the province directing that the model already adopted in the provincial capital be replicated by customizing it in accordance with the local perspectives and needs.
The project is aimed at mass scale rehabilitation of drug addicts in the province and would be implemented under the Annual Development Program at a total cost of Rs. 500 million with an estimated target to rehabilitate 5000 drug addicts during the next two years. Chairing a high level meeting in this regard, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan directed the quarters concerned for pragmatic steps to launch the program simultaneously in all divisions of the province within the next two weeks with special focus on making the convalescents useful and responsible citizens.
Briefing about the various aspects of the program, it was informed that the project will be implemented in three different stages including Data Collection & Profiling, Execution & Rehabilitation and engagement of convalescents to turn them into responsible citizens. According to details, after complete detoxification of drug addicted patients, they will be treated and rehabilitated under the direct supervision of expert psychologists, qualified doctors and other allied staff along with providing them food, clothing, hygiene kits and opportunities for engaging in recreational & sports activities.
Additionally, a complete socio-economic model has been proposed which is inclusive of skilled development and vocational courses aimed at providing livelihood opportunities to the rehabilitated patients. The forum was informed that formal sendoff ceremonies would also be arranged for convalescents, in which they will be provided with the required documents and skill-based toolkits. Similarly, in order to ensure implementation of the program in its true sense, steering committees will be formed at provincial, divisional and district levels whereas bi-monthly progress review would also be held to resolve any issues instantaneously.
