Punjab to bring law for de-addiction centres
December 23rd, 2009 - 7:43 pm ICT by IANS ( 1 comment )Chandigarh, Dec 23 (IANS) Punjab will soon have a law regulating the functioning of drug de-addiction centres to safeguard patients against human right violations and financial exploitation, a state minister said Wednesday.
Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla said 10 beds would be reserved in every civil hospital in Punjab for drug de-addiction patients.
In recent years, there have been several instances of de-addiction centres in the state, especially the private ones, keeping drug addicts in inhuman conditions and illegal confinement. In some cases, drug addict youths have died at these centres.
Punjab is a major transit and delivery centre for drugs coming from Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Even the state government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the mini-parliament of Sikh religion, acknowledges that drug addiction is rampant in the state, especially among the youth.
Chawla urged religious, social and educational associations to join the campaign against drugs and motivate people against their use.
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Tags: afghanistan, beds, chandigarh, delivery centre, drug addict, drug addiction, drug addicts, educational associations, financial exploitation, health minister, illegal confinement, inhuman conditions, instances, kanta, laxmi, pakistan, parliament, shiromani gurdwara, state government, state minister
December 24th, 2009 at 10:53 am
As To How Would Law for De-addiction Centres Be Helpful?
In the so-called Punjab drug de-addiction centres, the human right violations and the financial exploitation did come to notice occasionally at the instance of some inimical close influential relatives of patients and even of non- serious patients with the help of police for various personal reasons like of disputes and greediness of property etc.
It was good that now, it came to the knowledge of Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla, normally, the patients or non-patients never dare to report about the cruel treatment and the exploitation and more such happenings in the so-called Punjab drug de-addiction centres.
The whistle-blower alone can not do anything as it always done with the consent of some inimical close influential relatives of patients and even of non- serious patients with the help of police.
Moreover, the religious, social and educational associations who join in the campaign against drugs and motivate people are always the government sponsored like the so-called Punjab drug de-addiction centres and they prefer to remain mum for their own reasons.
Under the circumstances, it is a matter of great concern and to be seen in practice as to how would law for de-addiction centres be helpful against the human right violations and financial exploitation?
Balbir Singh Sooch, Advocate, Ludhiana
December 24, 2009
Punjab to bring law for de-addiction centres
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health1/punjab-to-bring-law-for-de-addiction-centres_100293742.html