Gandhinagar: Persons battling addiction will soon be able to access help closer home instead of having to travel to larger cities for specialised care. The state govt on Wednesday announced setting up 15-bed deaddiction centres at all 34 district govt hospitals for a cost of Rs 14.9 crore, offering treatment, counselling, mental health services and rehabilitation.Every centre, with inpatient and outpatient services, will offer scientifically managed detox treatment, de-addiction therapy, counselling, mental health support, family counselling and rehabilitation to help patients recover from substance dependence, the govt stated.Each facility will have doctors, nurses, counsellors, psychologists and other trained personnel so that patients receive complete care at one location. The statement added that for transparency in the project’s implementation, all equipment will be procured through the Govt e Marketplace (GEM) portal. Regular monitoring, social audits and third-party verification will also be carried out.Dr Rajendra Anand, superintendent of Kanoria deaddiction centre, said that there are a large number of patients who require specialised de-addiction care. “The govt’s decision to start deaddiction centres at the district level is a welcome move,” he said. Ahmedabad alone has around 15 deaddiction centres operating on govt grants.
