Pregnant addict's video viral, bares drug abuse in Kapurthala

Tribune News Service

Deepkamal Kaur

Kapurthala, October 6

The issue of indiscriminate use of drugs in Punjab has once again come to the fore after the video of a young woman addict lying on a bench by the roadside in a public place in Kapurthala went viral this morning.

The video of a 22-year-old married woman was reportedly captured by a social activist of the city while he was going along the road. In the video, she admits to having consumed heroin and being an addict for the past three years. She says that her husband is in jail and her parents are no more. She shares that she got addicted to drugs after getting into the company of some other young women addicts.

Drug suppliers sell in the open

• The video of a 22-year-old married woman was reportedly captured by a social activist. In the video, she admits to having consumed heroin and being an addict for three years
• She says she got addicted to drugs after getting into the company of women addicts
• She says she often finds drug suppliers standing at chowk at at Mehtabgarh village

A bigger revelation that she makes is that she roams about at Mehtabgarh village and often finds drug suppliers standing at the chowk there. She says that she seeks help from people to bear the cost of the heroin. She also says that she is already taking treatment for her addiction.

Soon after the 2.13-minute video went viral, the local administration swung into action. The de-addiction centre at the Civil Hospital in Kapurthala, from where she had earlier taken treatment, got her re-admitted. Dr Sandeep Bhola, Deputy Medical Commissioner, Kapurthala, released a video saying that she was already taking treatment at the OOAT Centre. “She had approached us two-three days ago for treatment and had been insisting that she be admitted,” he said.

Readmitted to hospital

We got her gynaecological tests done and have re-admitted her to the hospital. —Dr Sandeep Bhola, Dy medical commissioner

“We admitted her but there were certain complications as she was five-month pregnant. Her Hb level was too low and it was not possible to handle her alone at the centre. We asked the attendants (not from family) who had come along to stay back. We told them once she was stable, she could be admitted to the de-addiction centre. However, the woman chose to leave the centre with her attendants. We got her gynaecological tests done and have re-admitted her,” said Dr Bhola, adding that the centre had five other women addicts admitted and had treated 200 women, mostly hooked to heroin, in the past few years.

Meanwhile, the Kapurthala police held a cordon and search operation at Mehtabgarh, notorious as a drug hotspot. Kapurthala SSP Navneet Bains said, “We had conducted a similar operation there last month too”. He said, “The woman’s husband has nine cases against him, including three under the NDPS Act.”

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