Punjab identifies 60,000 new drug-addicts in lockdown

Over 60,000 new drug-addicts have been registered with the Punjab de-addiction programme in just one month of the lockdown, according to Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, here on Saturday.

Chandigarh, April 25 Over 60,000 new drug-addicts have been registered with the Punjab de-addiction programme in just one month of the lockdown, according to Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, here on Saturday.

Keeping in view the increasing number of drug-addicts, the opening time of the 'out patient opioid assisted treatment' (OOAT) clinics has been set at 8 a.m. Special attention was being paid to drug de-addiction programme on the directives of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh,

The Minister appealed social workers and people to follow instructions of the government at this critical time and reach out to the hospitals only when needed.

As per the Health Department, 4.14 lakh addicts were registered with it. These included 1.55 lakh at OOAT centres, 2.15 lakh in de-addiction centres and more than 30,000 in rehabilitation centres before the lockdown.

Now the figure is 4.74 lakh, an increase of 60,000 patients in OOAT centres.

( With inputs from IANS )