Chandigarh/Moga, March 6: Making a strong stance against the drugs, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh gave a loud and clear message, “Drug traffickers will be behind the bars or have to leave the Punjab.” He was talking to the media after holding a meeting with all the officials and the managers of the government/private drug de-addiction centres in the district at the Government Rehabilitation Centre located in village Janer.
He said that all the guarantees, which were given to the people of Punjab before the Aam Aadmi Party came to power, are being fulfilled. Now the Punjab government has devised an action plan to make the state drug-free. Drug users will be treated with empathy to bring them back to mainstream of 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 should 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 state government is maintaining a compassionate attitude towards drug users and treating them as a patient.
First of all, we will put those who take the vaccine on pills so that deaths due to overdose should stop, secondly, we will also get them rid of their pills by connecting them with sports and provide them with job opportunities.
The Punjab government is adopting a multi-pronged approach to tackling the drug problem. LChief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann handed over job letters to 763 candidates yesterday only. The government also plans to provide vocational training to those who have overcome drug addiction, helping them find employment and become self-sufficient. Additionally, they will create a narcotic support group that will work with drug de-addiction centres, and they will seek the help of Punjabis, NRIs, NGOs, and religious institutions, offering financial assistance to those involved in these efforts.
He said that first of all, the problem of Chitta has to be eradicated from the roots. 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. This problem of drugs can be solved by the people of the state unitedly.
The Health Minister appealed to the women of the state that if any member of a family is trapped in the swamp of drugs, then they should be brought to the government drug de-addiction centre to save their lives.
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 is involved in the drug smuggling. 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 will soon launch mobile Mohalla clinic vans across the state, in which more than 40 health tests and about 125 medicines will be available. 71 vans will be pushed into service in the next two to four months. The Punjab government is opening 200 more health centres.
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 held responsible. No doctor will send the patient to get medicine from outside the hospitals. 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 centre 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 centres and said that your centres are running for drug detoxification and your job is not only to sellIng pills. He said that while he himself will keep a close eye on the functioning of these centres, these centres 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 centre comes to his notice, strict action will be taken against the managers of the concerned centre. He also obtained information about psychiatrists from the managers of private drug de-addiction centres.
On this occasion, Moga MLA Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora, Deputy Commissioner Mr. Sagar Setia, SSP Mr. Ajay Gandhi, Mayor of Municipal Corporation Moga Mr. Baljit Singh Channi, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Mr. Jagwinderjit Singh Grewal, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Mrs. Charumita, SDM Dharamkot Sh Himanshu Gupta, District Psychiatrist Dr. Charanpreet Singh Brar, Moga Market Committee Chairman Sr Harjinder Singh Rode and other officials were also present.
