Govt de-addiction centres yet to register with state body

NEW DELHI: Six government-run de-addiction centres in Delhi are yet to apply for registration two months after all de-addiction centres, both private and public, were told to register with the state mental health authority (SMHA).

The government, on September 18, notified the new minimum standards under the central Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, for three categories of de-addiction centres — short stay, long stay, and treatment centres for substance abuse along with other psychiatric disorders.

So far, the SMHA has received only six applications, from notfor-profit centres. “The main aim of the registration is to distinguish between genuine centres and the illegal ones,” a senior official from Delhi government’s health department said.

This despite the court order- ing the suspension of services in nearly 300 private centres in the city in April in the absence of any regulation. The government-run facilities were allowed to continue treating patients. However, of the three private centres that HT contacted recently, two were ready to admit patients “immediately”.

“Now that the regulations are in place, even the government centres are supposed to be registered. This will be done, of course. The system is new; we will do it,” a senior official from the health department said.

In Delhi, there are 70,000 street children who abuse some form of substance – 20,000 use tobacco, 9,450 alcohol, 7,910 inhalants, 5,600 cannabis and 210 pharmaceutical drugs, according to data from the intersectoral committee monitoring the de-addiction centres.

Neighbouring states such as Punjab and Haryana also have a high number of drug abuse cases.

The rules were formulated on the orders of the Delhi High Court, which noticed a lack of policy when it examined a centre where a person was allegedly detained against his wishes.

The process of registration might not weed out the problem of centres that are run illegally as no inspection is needed for registering the centre, under the Act. The onus lies on the centres to maintain the minimum standards and action can be taken against them if deficiencies are found during a surprise check or on a complaint.

“There is no mandatory inspection before the registration process, the onus lies on the centre to fulfil the standards and maintain them. In case there are complaints or on surprise audits the SMHA notices any red flag, the registration can be withdrawn,” Dr Nimesh Desai, who heads the SMHA and the director IHBAS, said.