PESHAWAR: Having successfully launched the Drug-Free Peshawar campaign with over a 1,000 drug addicts undergoing detoxification and treatment at several private sector facilities, the advisory body overseeing the project has sought increase in bedding capacity of these centres.

“We need to increase our capacity to be able to treat more drug addicts without compromising the quality of services at the treatment centres,” Peshawar commissioner Riaz Khan Mehsud told the second review meeting of the advisory body. “The journey is long. This is just the beginning,” he said.

Peshawar deputy commissioner Shafiullah Khan, officials from the police, social welfare, health and other departments and representatives of media and non-governmental organisations involved in treating drug addicts were present on the occasion.

Additional deputy commissioner Mohammad Ehteshamul Haq gave a detailed presentation on the first two phases of the campaign. He told the participants that a total of 1,183 drug addicts had been picked up from various parts of the city in a crackdown launched in coordination with the police. He said three addicts, who were in critical condition, expired during treatment.

He said the initial plan was to treat 700 addicts in the first phase, but it was later expanded to 1,100. He said most of the addicts were in the 26 to 40 age group and 45 per cent of them had come from outside the district, while a few belonged to other provinces.

Mr Haq revealed that 44 addicts had HIV Aids, while 177 suffered from hepatitis-C. He said the HIV patients were being treated locally, but plans were afoot to move them to a purpose-built facility in Islamabad.

The Peshawar commissioner stressed the need for enhancing capacity at the treatment facilities by another 1,500 beds. “Our ultimate goal should be to increase the bedding capacity to 5,000,” he said.

The advisory council was briefed about the quality of services available at the treatment facilities with particular emphasis on food, hygiene, medicine, and recreational activity.

Mr Mehsud expressed his disappointment over the state of poor hygiene, food and lack of recreational activity at the one such facility.

The meeting was also told about the lack of a psychiatrist and different options were discussed in this regard.

The council also discussed institutionalisation of the coordination arrangements between different government and non-government stakeholders and funding options.

The meeting underlined the need for a crackdown on drug peddlers by law enforcement agencies.

The commissioner informed the council that a meeting would soon be arranged with the chief minister to discuss the progress made thus far and the way forward.

Published in Dawn,June 12th, 2022