Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakeena Itoo today emphasized the crucial and collective role of legislators, senior citizens, intellectuals, community members and religious leaders in combating the menace of drug abuse across Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister said this while replying in the House today to a clubbed question of Legislators Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah, Surjeet Singh Slathia, Ali Mohammad Sagar (raised by Legislator Mubarik Gul on his behalf) and Ghulam Mohi Ud Din Mir on the issues relating to drug Abuse.
She added that the department has taken various steps like mandatory CCTV installation and computerized billing of medical shops training counselors at village level as well as CCTV installation in and around schools and colleges. She also said that teachers are being trained in schools to counsel students showing some early signs of drug addiction.
The Minister informed the House that Drug De-addiction services are being strengthened across the Union Territory under the Health and Medical Education Department and the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. She added that Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) are functional in all the districts of Kashmir Division and nine districts of Jammu Division, with dedicated IPD beds and OPD services available to ensure comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation.
The Health Minister said that in Kashmir Division ATFs are functional in SKIMS, GMC Bemina Srinagar, GMC Anantnag, GMC Baramulla, GMC Handwara, District Hospital Kulgam, District Hospital Shopian, District Hospital Pulwama, District Hospital Budgam, District Hospital Ganderbal and District Hospital Bandipora. In Jammu division, ATFs are functional in GMC Doda, GMC Jammu, GMC Kathua, GMC AH Rajouri, GMC AH Udhampur, District Hospital Kishtwar, District Hospital Poonch, District Hospital Ramban, District Hospital Reasi and DH Samba (functional on OPD Basis), she added.
The Minister said that OPD services are being ensured in all the districts, IPD services in all the GMCs besides the psychiatrists are also available. Efforts are underway to bolster de-addiction counselling and treatment services, particularly in rural and vulnerable areas, by strengthening OPD-based counselling, improving access to essential medicines, and enhancing follow-up and outreach programmes, she added.
“Health and Medical Education Department is regularly organizing awareness campaigns through field functionaries as well as via print media, encouraging the drug abuse victims to seek treatment and counselling to get rid of this evil addiction”, she said.
The Minister said that 32517 patients have been registered in ATFs in J&K, with 16759 in Kashmir division and 15758 in Jammu division. She added that there is no proposal to establish Drug De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre in Pulwama district of Kashmir division and Samba district of Jammu division, saying that a Drug De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre at Village Bajwani, Tral district Pulwama is functional and catering to patients from across the district.
The Health Minister said that an addiction treatment facility has been established at District Hospital Samba since February 2024 sponsored by NDDTC (AIIMS New Delhi) under MoSJE. “The centre is staffed with a psychiatrist and other trained staff to provide treatment and rehabilitation services”, she said. She added that the centre is presently working on OPD basis and providing services like OPD by Psychiatric, counseling, Addiction Treatment Facility and de-addiction medicines are also provided free of cost to the patients.