Punjab

Saying no to drugs: Lahore gets Pakistan’s largest addicts treatment centre

100-bed facility will start operating by June’s end.

Our Correspondent April 22, 2017

In this file photo, an addict prepares to inject himself with drugs. PHOTO: AFP

LAHORE: The largest public sector treatment and rehabilitation facility for addicts has been established in Lahore on the premises of the Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH).

The construction of the state-of-the-art facility has been completed at a cost of over Rs192 million. The centre has 100 beds and 10 cells, while it will start functioning by the end of June 2017.

This was stated by Punjab Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Khwaja Salman Rafique as he presided over a meeting after inspecting the newly-constructed building on Friday.

Health Special Secretary Dr Sajid Chohan, Additional Secretary Dr Salman Shahid, PIMH Chief Executive Dr Nasir Bhatti, senior officials of the communication and works department, along with other administrative doctors, attended the meeting.

Dr Bhatti said the finance department had approved 113 posts for the centre, while 40 other vacancies would be sanctioned soon after criteria for them are laid down.

He added the procurement process for medical equipment had already been completed and Rs38 million was released for the purpose.

The PIMH chief executive said most of the important equipment has been delivered and the remainder would arrive by May 31. The superintending engineer and XEN of the construction and works department said the procurement process to purchase a 200 KVA generator, a 400 KVA transformer and electric panel for the centre is under way.

Minister Salman Rafique, addressing the meeting, said the government is spending billions on the construction of hospitals and state-of-the-art specialised health centres.

He added the addict treatment and rehabilitation centre at PIMH is the largest specialised institution of its kind in the public sector. Earlier, the minister took a tour of the structure and appreciated the efforts of the PIMH chief executive as well as health and C&W officials to complete the project. He ordered that necessary steps should be taken immediately to operationalise the centre by the end of June 2017.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2017.