DOH turns over P2.1M drug rehab, HIV facility

The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday turned over a rehabilitation center that is seen to cater to the needs of the drug dependents and for patients with HIV.

Mandaue City Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna said the nationally-funded facility that costs over P2.1 million is the first in the Visayas and the city government is grateful to be its first recipient.

"It is not just to arrest the pusher and to save lives, but to give these people a second chance," Fortuna said.

He said that this was the solution they came up with when they were asked by the Department of Interior and Local Government on how to address the concern on the proliferation of substance-abuse back in 2016.

"We're grateful and thankful we were able to come up with a system that is working," Fortuna said.

City Health Officer Edna Seno, said the facility, which is situated at the left part inside the City District Hospital, will start its operation in the middle of November.

The rehabilitation process will go for about four to six months, and the clients will meet their therapists and counselors three times a week. "This depends on the client's request," she said.

The facility will first cater to those drug dependents in the city's barangays who already knew as to who are involved in illegal drugs.

Seno said the face-to-face session with the therapists will take about 2 to 3 hours.

The staff of the facility, Seno said, is composed of registered psychologists, nurses, and social workers.

"We have psychology graduates, who are still taking up their masters (working with us). We have a nurse, who is already experienced in handling rehab facilities," Seno said.

Dr. Emmanuel Tiongson of the DOH said that the city is one of the pilot recovery facilities in the country next to Ifugao, Tarlac, Pasay City, Mindoro, and Compostela Valley.

Tiongson also explained that the facility also caters to those persons with HIV because they, too, are at risk to illegal drugs.

"Drug-users usually, have highly risky behavior when it comes to sex, so it exposes them not only to HIV but also other sexually transmitted diseases," he said.

DOH has plans to scale up the recovery facility in the future.

"In the next steps, meron po tayong ma-contribute sa promotion of well-being sa mga persons who uses drugs," he said.

He thanked the city government for their support to the DOH. —