Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Sept 13: The Health & Medical Education (H&ME) Department has formed a committee for chalking out the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling the identified drug abusers under the ‘Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyan,’ set to cover a wide range of aspects concerning the drug abuse in the Union Territory.
In this connection, a 13-member committee has been formed by the Government which is going to have members from various departments for a multi-dimensional, inter-departmental response to the drug matter at hand.
The Committee has been tasked to chalk out a well-devised Standard Operating Procedure for end-to-end handling of the identified drug abusers through coordinated, multi-dimensional, inter-departmental, and multi-level campaigns to tackle the menace of drug/substance abuse.
The SOP will encompass setting up of Drug De-addiction Rehabilitation Centre in all districts with OPD and IPD facilities by optimally utilizing the existing facilities being run by Police / Social welfare/ NGOs etc.
The same will also deal with devising mechanisms for collating information on over-the-counter drugs/medicines being misused by the drug/substance abusers for identification of drug abuse.
The panel is going to have Mission Director, National Health Mission, J&K as its Chairman Director Health Services Jammu as Member, Director Health Services, Kashmir as Member, Director Ayush, J&K as Member, Project Director, JKSACS, J&K as Member, Managing Director, J&K Medical Supplies Corporation, Limited, as Member, State Drugs Controller, Drug & Food Control Organization, J&K as Member, Head of the Department Psychiatry, GMC Jammu/ Kashmir as Members, Head of the Department Gastroenterology, GMC Jammu/Kashmir as Members and Divisional Level Nodal Officers from Director Health Services Jammu/Kashmir as Members.
The committee will also devise a methodology for taking up research, survey, and impact assessments on substance use, as a continuous activity for regular counseling with drug addicts while maintaining anonymity as a continuous activity apart from putting forth measures to undertake detailed screening of HIV / Hepatitis patients and undertake remedial measures for those found involved in drug abuse as a continuous activity.
The panel will also work towards evolving procedures for community recovery alongside individual recovery by collective support through medical and counseling services as well as converging the activities of stakeholder Departments such as Ayush, Social Welfare, Youth Sports & Services, and others for holding rehabilitative programs including regular Yoga sessions for drug addicts/ de-addicts.
The SOP will also encompass the IEC campaign at different levels for continuous awareness covering preventive, curative, and rehabilitative aspects, while it has been noted that the SOP shall envisage activities right from home detoxification to Addiction Treatment Facility (ATF) (Day Care/ OPD) up to rehabilitation and De-addiction (Long Term IPD).
The panel has also been directed to suggest a mechanism to ensure the availability of adequate substitute drugs for home detoxification and the role of various health institutes and other agencies shall be clearly defined for ensuring proper implementation of the SOP.
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