Punjab: Vans delivering de-addiction drugs at doorstep to ensure social distancing at OOAT centres

The vehicles are equipped to conduct HIV tests on patients along with giving consultations by experts

At a time when thousands of drug addicts are visiting de-addiction centres due to shortage of narcotics supply amid the lockdown, making social distancing nearly impossible, the Kapurthala health department has launched its second outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) van to provide treatment to the addicts at their doorstep.

Health team to visit villages to screen drug addicts in the Kapurthala district. (HT PHOTO)

Besides delivering de-addiction drugs and screening addicts, the van will be equipped to conduct HIV tests on the patients along with consultations by experts. The HIV test was almost stopped in the district as most people were unable to visit the district hospital amid the curfew and the cases might have witnessed a rise with addicts using the same syringes due to shortage, said a doctor.

Around 2,000 persons have been enrolled themselves for treatment at nine government OOAT centres in Kapurthala district in the past 40 days. After the launch of the first OOAT van on April 14, 300 more patients have enrolled for delivery of medicines at their doorsteps.

“To ensure social distancing in OOAT centres, we decided to launch another van for visits to affected areas every three days in a week,” said Dr Sandeep Bhola, nodal officer, mental health and de-addiction centres.

Meanwhile, there has been a spike in the number of patients at de-addiction centres across the district. The centres used to receive an average of 30 to 50 admissions per month, but now the numbers have shot up to 200 due to the non-availability of drugs. The district has now over 8,400 registered addicts at the OOAT centres.