Nawanshahr- Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh today visited the Government De-addiction Center, Nawanshahr and inspected the health services available for drug addicts there. On this occasion, he also saw the cleanliness system in the bathrooms and on the roof of the building at the center. On this occasion, he interacted with the drug addicts admitted in the Government De-addiction Center and motivated them to take a firm resolve to quit drugs.
He motivated the drug addicts to quit drugs and said that they should leave this wrong path for themselves and their families and adopt the path of life. He said that under the campaign against drug addiction, the Punjab Government will take the drug addicts out of the quagmire of addiction and include them in the mainstream of society and every possible effort will be made for their rehabilitation.
During this, the Health Minister held a special meeting with the officials of the Health Department and the representatives of private de-addiction centers. He asked the representatives of private de-addiction centers to work honestly to make the drug addicts drug-free. He directed to further strengthen the necessary infrastructure including quality treatment, counselling services, availability of prescribed medicines in government and private de-addiction centres.
He said that strict adherence to the prescribed SOPs for the treatment and management of drug addicts must be ensured. He also said that the Punjab Government's "War Against Drugs" campaign has become a mass movement and this campaign has instilled a new hope in every section of the society, especially the drug addicts and their families.
He also said that the youth should be made aware about the ill effects of drug abuse by using the Rural Health, Hygiene and Nutrition Committees (VHSNC) established in the villages as a platform. He said that the need to provide a drug-free environment in the villages should be emphasized to make the state drug-free.
He also appealed to the general public and public representatives including Panchayats, religious and social service organizations to come forward to make the state a drug-free and healthy Punjab. He said that the multi-pronged 'war on drugs' campaign launched by the Punjab government to keep the state drug-free requires the cooperation of every section of the society. He said that the war on drugs is not just the fight of the Punjab government, but it is the fight of every Punjabi.