Better care for drug surrenders
Health workers trained to properly assess drug reformists
DAVAO ORIENTAL Seeing a huge number of illegal drug users and pushers who voluntarily submitted themselves for reformation, a training aimed to equip health workers to properly screen and assess the reformists was conducted.
The Provincial AntiDrug Abuse Council (PADAC) said the first step in the drug rehabilitation process is to identify the proper intervention that would be beneficial to a drug reformist.
Head of the Provincial Health Office, Dr. Herminigilda B. Nartates said that admission to a rehabilitation facility will depend on the severity of the drug user’s condition. In some cases, they may not be admitted but instead catered in an outpatient rehab facility.
Spearheaded by the Provincial Government, the training held on November 7 was participated by health workers, action officers of Barangay and Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Councils, and personnel from other concerned agencies such as the Philippine National Police and the Department of Interior and Local Government.
The participants during the training received lectures on the ill effects of drugs, establishing therapeutic communication and creation of a management plan.
Putting the participants’ knowledge and skills to the test, an actual screening and assessment of drug reformists in Barangay Sainz in the City of Mati was conducted.
Meanwhile, as the number of drug users who surrendered to the authorities is quite staggering — which emphasizes the gravity of the problem that has already penetrated deep into the society, Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang bared plans about putting up a rehabilitation center here to cater the large number of drug users. He said this is already making headway as the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce from Davao City offered to shoulder the construction of the rehabilitation facility in a lot that will be provided by the Pro- vincial Government.
He said this is a welcome opportunity for the province. However, the challenge is left on the maintenance of the facility. “We need to work together on this,” he said, adding that the concerted effort among government agencies and local government units is needed in order to fully help drug reformist. “Solving the drug menace in our society today needs multi-concerted efforts from various agencies and needs a participatory approach,” he added. In addition to the screening and assessment, representatives of various civic society groups and faith-based organizations were given an orientation on their roles in the intervention process for drug reformists. During the activity, the representatives of these civic society groups and faith-based organizations signed a pledge of commitment, solidifying their support to the movement on the eradication illegal drugs and in holistically helping drug reformists.