PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has approved the extension of the mass rehabilitation program for drug addicted people to all districts of the province.
He directed that the model already adopted in Peshawar be replicated by customizing it in accordance with the local perspectives and needs.
The project is aimed at mass scale rehabilitation of drug addicts in the province and would be implemented under the Annual Development Program at a total cost of Rs500 million with an estimated target to rehabilitate 5,000 addicts during the next two years.
Chairing a meeting here, the chief minister directed the quarters concerned for launching the program simultaneously in all divisions of the province within the next two weeks.
Briefing the meeting about various aspects of the program, officials said the project will be implemented in three stages – Data collection and profiling, execution and rehabilitation and engagement of convalescents to turn them into responsible citizens.
After complete detoxification of drug addicted patients, they will be treated and rehabilitated under the direct supervision of expert psychologists, qualified doctors and other allied staff along with providing them food, clothing, hygiene kits and opportunities for engaging in recreational & sports activities.
Additionally, a complete socioeconomic model has been proposed which is inclusive of skilled development and vocational courses aimed at providing livelihood opportunities to the rehabilitated patients.
The meeting was informed that formal sendoff ceremonies would also be arranged for convalescents, in which they will be provided with the required documents and skill-based toolkits. Similarly, in order to ensure implementation of the program in its true sense, steering committees will be formed at provincial, divisional and district levels whereas bi-monthly progress review would also be held to resolve any issues instantaneously.
About the progress made so far on the rehabilitation campaign launched in the provincial capital, Commissioner Peshawar Riaz Mahsud said a total of 1,079 patients have been rehabilitated completely whereas 925 drug addicted patients were currently under treatment.
On this occasion, the chief minister underlined the need to have strict action against drugs peddlers adding that the use of drugs, especially ice has become a serious problem and every possible step should be taken to root out this menace from our society.