Registration must for de-addiction centres

Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service
Shimla, July 22

Now, it will be mandatory for drug de-addiction centres to get registered with the Himachal Pradesh State Mental Health Authority.

Additional Chief Secretary, Health, RD Dhiman said alcohol and drug abuse came under ‘mental illness’ and de-addiction centres were mental health establishments. Therefore, treatment and rehabilitative services would be regulated by the State Mental Health Authority.

A sub-committee has been constituted under the Director, Medical Education, Dr Ravi Sharma to finalise the rules and regulations under the mental health care. Deputy Commissioners and Chief Medical Officers will map the centres in their districts and direct these to seek provisional registration from the authority.

Senior Medical Superintendent in Himachal Hospital of Mental Health and Rehab, Shimla, Dr Sanjay Pathak, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Himachal Pradesh State Mental Health Authority, said It had come to the notice that some private de-addiction centres were not following the World Health Organisation (WHO) treatment protocol and treating the patients inhumanely.

The maximum number of cases coming to rehab centres are alcoholic and ‘chitta’ patients. “We received about 90 patients in OPD every month and 30-40 are admitted,” said Dr Amit of the psychiatry department in the IGMC.

There are over 30 private centres in the state and most of which are in Una followed by Baddi. Most patients are in the age group of 16 to 35 years. They drink, dope, consume opium and cannabis and there has been a spurt in the number of chitta users, says Vikram Kuthiala, who runs a rehab, The New Life Foundation, on the suburbs of Shimla.

Sub-panel formed

• A sub-committee has been constituted
• It will finalise the rules under mental health care 
• DCs and Chief Medical Officers will map the centres and direct these to seek registration