Groundbreaking rehab centre on the brink for lack of funds
MUSCAT: A government accredited, 24-hour drug rehabilitation centre may soon be forced to close its doors – after successfully treating addicts for two years.
Shuroq Al Amal Al Alamia, the Rise of Hope International, needs OMR10,000 a month to stay afloat and treat drug addicts in Oman.
It’s believed to be the only government accredited, privately funded rehab in the Sultanate, and the only money they receive is through donations.
It costs OMR300 a month to stay there and receive treatment.
“The majority of the beneficiaries that stay with us stay for free. Not everyone can afford these prices - not even their families. The reason I decided to let them stay is because I knew exactly where they would go if we kicked them out, and they might never came back (alive),” Dr Zahra Al Harmali, founder and CEO, said.
Shuroq Al Amal Al Alamia, translated into the Rise of Hope International, started operations two years ago. Since then, 159 addicts have been treated at the facility and 38 have fully recovered and remained sober to this day.
Although treatment is supplied, the organisation is having difficulty paying for necessities such as rent, food and salaries.
According to Dr Harmali, it costs OMR500 a month to house a patient, but they are only charging OMR300 to try to make it affordable. Addicts are asked to stay a minimum of six months to fully recover, but not everyone can afford the costs - including Dr Harmali.
“I’ve been selling things and have received donations to stay afloat. I was going to shut down the rehab three months ago, but my cousin was kind enough to donate enough to keep me open for three more months. One lady donated OMR5,000 which was enough for a whole month. Our electric bill is at OMR800 and we are expecting it to be shut at any minute,” she said.
Tucked away in North al Hail, Shurooq al Amal has 10 bedrooms and 30 beds. Currently, there are 20 beneficiaries in the rehab, all with under less than seven months sobriety.
Problems
“Every time we looked for a rental building, we were refused because we would be housing addicts. When it came time to register the organisation’s name, I was asked to choose between Oman, Gulf or International. I was laughed at for thinking that my rehab could be international. But within that same month of registering the name, I had my first non-Omani patient,” Dr Harmali said.
Dr Harmali started her career in drug rehabilitation nine years ago. She volunteered in a cancer treatment facility at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital that was being run by the late Dr. Msellem Abuali.
Through that experience, she realised the power of personal touch to relieve pain. Later on, she would sit in on a lecture on addiction and saw the opportunity to apply herself to relieve addiction pain.