First rehab centre in Amritsar fails lab test
AMRITSAR: Inaugurated by Union minister Arun Jaitley in July 2015, Punjab’s first full-fledged government-run drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centre here, built at a cost of Rs 5 crore, claims to provide everything required for treating addicts but patients are dissatisfied.
The number of patients is now 84, up from 35 three weeks ago. Their main grouse is that the only test conducted in its laboratory is to check addiction.
“My grandson is here since July 6. He is getting medicines but the doctor asked him to undergo tests for HIV and hepatitis outside,” says Gurnam Kaur of Ghumanpura village.
Another patient says, “When we paid the fee of Rs 1,540 for treatment, samples were collected in the ward. Doctors now ask us to call our parents for tests to be conducted outside.”
Centre psychiatrist Amarbir Singh says, “We have arrangements for urine test for addiction. The addicts undergo other tests at the local government medical college.”
The centre is linked with the de-addiction centre at the medical college. Of the five wards, two are air-conditioned.
The centre has a permanent medical officer, eight psychiatrists on rotation, seven nursing staff and four ward attendants besides administrative staff and trainers. The college provides staff to the centre but they work for 16 hours at times, says nursing officer Vishal Johan. “We have enough doctors. We have sought eight more staffers, including two lab technicians,” says Dr PD Garg, who heads both centres.
The centre is getting support from Sun Foundation, an NGO led by Vikramjit Singh Sahney, for two years. The NGO offers three-month certificate courses in computers, welding, plumbing and electrical jobs. “More than 300 patients are enrolled in these courses,” says Baljit Kaur Johal, the coordinator of the foundation.
On the administration’s request, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee supplies free food from the langar (community kitchen) of Golden Temple to this centre. Food also comes from another Sikh religious organisation headed by Baba Kashmir Singh Bhuri Wale.