War Against Drugs”

Moga (  Judtice News)  “Drug dealers, drug traffickers will now either be in jails, police stations or outside Punjab, this work has now started.” These views were expressed by Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh while talking to the media after holding a meeting with all the officials and the managers of the government/private drug de-addiction centers of the district at the Government Rehabilitation Center located in village Janer.

He said that guarantees were given to the people of Punjab before the Aam Aadmi Party came to power, all those guarantees are being fulfilled. Now the Punjab government has made preparations to make the state drug-free, in this, drug addicts who have fallen into the swamp of drugs for any reason will be treated and made a part of a healthy society.

He said that the “War Against Drugs” campaign, launched by the Punjab government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to make the state drug-free, will play a decisive role in making Punjab drug-free and people from every section of the society will have to cooperate for the eradication of drugs. He said that we have to save the youth of the state and those who take the youth of Punjab on the wrong path will not be spared under any circumstances.

He said that the government is maintaining a compassionate attitude towards all those who do drugs. Patients are being treated with compassion. First of all, we will put those who take the vaccine on pills so that deaths due to overdose stop, secondly, we will also get rid of their pills and connect them with sports and provide them with job opportunities.

He said that yesterday alone, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has provided regular jobs to 763 candidates.  He said that we will provide vocational training to the drug free people and employ them in various professions and make them stand on their own feet. Apart from this, we will also form a narcotic support group with all the drug de-addiction centers. He said that in this work, the cooperation of all our Punjabis, NRIs, NGOs, religious institutions will be taken and they will be given financial help.

He said that first of all, the problem of Chitta has to be eradicated from the root. This war on drugs campaign of the Punjab government is getting a huge response from the people. People are giving their blessings to the government that the government is making all-out efforts to get their sons, brothers etc. out of the swamp of drugs. He said that the problem of drugs should be solved by the people of the state unitedly.

The Health Minister said that the Punjab government is taking various steps to get the drug addicts off the drugs and include them in the mainstream of the society. He especially appealed to the women of the state that if any member of a family is trapped in the swamp of drugs, then he should be brought to the government drug de-addiction center and the government promises that by saving the life of their family member, they will be given a chance to live a healthy life again.

He said that unlike the previous governments, now no politician has any hand in drugs and the police is also fighting without political pressure. There is no sympathy whatsoever with the drug smuggler. If he has built any property through this business, then it will be demolished by the government as per the government law.

When asked about the health revolution, he said that the government is soon bringing mobile Mohalla clinic vans across the state, in which more than 40 health tests and about 125 medicines are available. These 71 vans are running. In the next two to four months, the Punjab government is opening 200 more health centers. These Mohalla clinic vans will go from village to village and provide medicines. Every day, two villages will be covered by vans. One van will go to the village on the specified day and time and will distribute all the medicines free of cost.

He said that the Punjab government has now made all the medicines available in hospitals only, if this does not happen in any health institution, then the Civil Surgeon or SMO will be responsible in this regard. No doctor will send the patient to get medicine.  Around 6 such centers will be set up in Punjab where knee replacement facility will be provided to the patients. A Center of Excellence for Dialysis has also been set up in Ludhiana in which 25 machines have been installed, one such center is also being set up in Rajindra Hospital. This is all hub and scope model.

On this occasion, the Health Minister issued strict instructions to the managers of private drug de-addiction centers and said that your centers are running for drug detoxification and your job is not only to sell narcotic pills. He said that while he himself will keep a close eye on the functioning of these centers, these centers will also be checked from time to time. He said that if the case of sale of narcotic pills outside any private drug de-addiction center comes to his notice, strict action will be taken against the managers of the concerned center. He also obtained information about psychiatrists from the managers of private drug de-addiction centers.