States 1st model de-addiction centre without vital pills
AMRITSAR: The state’s first model de-addiction centre in Amritsar is running without medicines that are vital to treat the addicts. Currently, the 50-bedded centre has 40 in-patients who are not being treated properly due to a gross shortage of Buprenorphine and Naloxone tablets.
In July 2015, the then SAD-BJP (Shiromani Akali Dal-bharatiya Janata Party) government had inaugurated the Swami Vivekanand De-addiction and Treatment Centre, constructed at the cost of ₹5 crore, at the Government Medical College in Amritsar.
Medical officer and centre in-charge Dr Rajive Arora said Buprenorphine and Naloxone are vital tablets to treat the addicts admitted here, but we are facing a shortage of these medicines. “In total, we require at least 10,000 Buphrenorphine and Naloxone tablets per month. In June, we had received only 3,000 tablets and in July there was no supply,” he said. “We are managing with some substitute medicines, but these are not as effective as Buphrenorphine and Naloxone. We have been writing to the department every month to send the medicines, but in vain. All government-run de-addiction centres in the state, are facing a shortage of the said medicines,” he added.
Dr Arora said that the private de-addiction centres are not facing any such shortage. They are charging ₹350-400 per pack of pills from the patients admitted at their facilities.
“They are even giving these tablets to take home and for their outdoor patients, while we are not allowed to do the same,” he added.another doctor at the Amritsar centre, on condition of anonymity, said, “With an intention of benefitting the private centres, the health department has not been providing the required medicines to the government-run de-addiction centres. As a result, the poor patients feel harassed.”
On Tuesday, the HT team visited the centre and found that outpatients visiting the centre for medicines were given sleeping pills.
Dr Arora said that they had been giving Tramadol tablets — derivative of opium — to the outpatients till Monday. “Now, even the stock of these tablets has finished. So, we are giving sleeping pills to the patients,” he said.
He added that they need around 60,000 Tramadol tablets per month as 200-300 outpatients visit the centre for these medicines. “We are putting forward a demand for this medicine as well and are hoping to receive them soon,” he said. “However, one must know that giving Tramadol to the patients is not a treatment. It is a substitute for drugs and is used to keep the patients’ yearning in check, temporarily,” said Dr Arora.
PATIENTS, KIN WORRIED
A 22-year-old patient who visited the centre with his mother from Bal Kalan village for the medicines said, “I used to take heroin/ smack. Earlier I was given Tramadol as it was keeping me stable, but now all I get is sleeping pills. What should I do? I’m forced to take heroin or smack”.