The campaign to de-addiction in Uttarakhand by 2025 has gained momentum, Health Secretary Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar is rapidly implementing CM Dhami’s vision
Dhami government is making serious efforts to stop drug trafficking and destroy the drug system in Uttarakhand. The government has turned a blind eye on the drug de-addiction centers being operated illegally in the state. CM Dhami said that the target has been set to make Devbhoomi Uttarakhand drug free by the year 2025, everyone has to work together to make this campaign successful. The war against drugs can be won especially by the awareness of the youth. In view of this, the Health Department has made registration of all de-addiction centers mandatory. The government has warned the illegal operators that if they do not register, strict action will be taken against their centers as per the Act.
According to State Health Secretary Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar, the state has to be drug free by 2025. While on one hand awareness is being brought against drugs among the general public and especially the youth in the state, on the other hand strict action is being taken against the criminals involved in drug trafficking. Under the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, de-addiction centers are being made effective in all the districts of the state to connect the drug addicts with the mainstream and for their rehabilitation. At present four Integrated Rehabilitation Centers for Addicts are being operated. A campaign is being run by the state government regarding the ill effects of drug addiction among various sections of the society and especially the youth. In such a situation, people who are under the influence of drug addiction will be freed from addiction through counseling and treatment. To control unregistered de-addiction centres, the government has decided that strict action will be taken as per the Act against those centers which are not registered.
According to Health Secretary Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar, due to there being no standards for the operation of de-addiction centers and mental health institutions, information about irregularities and misbehavior in many institutions was coming from time to time through newspapers and tele media. For this reason, the government has made rules and regulations for these institutions and promulgated them in the state, so that all the mental health institutions, de-addiction centers and such rehabilitation centers where people suffering from mental illness are kept, are implemented as per those rules and everyone It is mandatory to be registered with the State Mental Health Authority. All registered institutions will also be audited and inspected from time to time and the last date for registration is 14th December.
Health Secretary Dr R Rajesh Kumar said that at present about 70 de-addiction centers and mental health institutions have applied for registration in the State Mental Health Authority, due to which the process of allotment of provisional registration certificate is in progress. If unregistered centers are operated, those centers will be considered illegal and action will be taken against them under the provisions of the State Mental Health Care Act-2017.
It is noteworthy that drug addiction is emerging as a major problem among the youth in Uttarakhand. Which is having a very bad effect on their mental and physical health. WHO According to a 2001 report, the average number of people suffering from mental illness in India is 10 percent of the total population. According to this report, the number of mentally ill patients in Uttarakhand is approximately 11 lakh 70,000, out of which 2,34,000 are very serious patients and the number of children suffering from mental weakness up to 6 years is approximately 1,17,000. The number of long-term patients suffering from mental illness is continuously increasing in Uttarakhand’s only mental health hospital, Selaqui, Dehradun. At present there are about 26 such patients who can be sent there if the rehabilitation center is built.
In the definition of mental illness in the Mental Health Care Act-2017, drug addiction has been included in the category of mental illness. Therefore, the situation of Uttarakhand here is higher than the national average.
There is a huge shortage of experts working in the field of mental health in Uttarakhand and the number of rehabilitation centers is also very limited. The state government is committed under the Drug Free India campaign. As a result, the government has given DPCP course to 30 government doctors from NIMHANS, Bangalore and they are also getting the work done for the treatment of mental patients. The process of setting up 100 bedded de-addiction centers at two places in the state, one in Kumaon and one in Garhwal division, is in progress.
Mental Health Institute, Selaqui has been upgraded to a 100 bedded mental hospital. Apart from this, work is being done on a plan to build a 100-bed mental hospital in Nainital, Gethia district. The government has given instructions to reserve 5 percent of the beds in the district hospitals of the state for the treatment of mental patients and drug addicts.
Health Secretary Dr R Rajesh Kumar said that to make the drug-free Uttarakhand campaign more effective, the state government is continuously making arrangements for better services and treatment. Tele-counselling facility is also being provided for de-addiction. Round the clock mental health support is being provided under Tele-Manas. Whose toll-free number is 14416 and 18008914416.
