Chandigarh, July 22: Punjab’s intensified war against drugs appears to be showing concrete results, with the number of drug-dependent individuals seeking treatment rising sharply since the state’s crackdown began on March 1.
According to the state Health Department, the daily footfall at Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOATS) clinics has jumped from around 1 lakh before March to nearly 1.5 lakh — an increase of 50,000. Simultaneously, the number of patients receiving care at the 36 public-sector de-addiction centers has more than tripled, swelling from 600 to approximately 2,000.
Health officials say the surge follows the state government’s launch of the “Yudh Nasheyan Virudh” (War Against Drugs) initiative, which has significantly disrupted the narcotics supply chain. “The focus has now shifted to treatment and rehabilitation,” said Dr. Sandeep Bhola, who heads Punjab’s Drug De-addiction Programme.
“The number of available beds has increased from 2,000 to 5,000 to meet the growing demand. We are also engaging private hospitals and nursing colleges to strengthen the infrastructure,” Dr. Bhola told The Tribune.
Punjab operates 36 government-run drug de-addiction centers and 19 rehabilitation centers. In the private sector, 143 out of 177 centers remain functional. The licenses of 22 facilities managed by Amit Bansal were recently suspended, with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launching a probe into financial irregularities. These centers have been sealed, and patient records, medicine stocks, and digital data are under scrutiny.
Despite the closures, treatment access appears unaffected. “The patients from the suspended facilities are being shifted to nearby government-run centers,” an official confirmed, adding that district-level committees are now screening private facilities for compliance before allowing them to admit addicts.
As part of its response, the state has established 18 new OOATS clinics, bringing the total number across Punjab to 565. To support recovery and reduce relapse rates, the government has partnered with the Sun Foundation — a charitable trust headed by AAP Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney — which will offer vocational training to recovering addicts at the state’s 19 rehabilitation centers.
Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh said private psychologists are also being engaged to support both therapy and rehabilitation. “We’re paying Rs 1,500 per hour to private psychologists for counselling services. The goal is to decriminalise addiction and ensure better treatment access,” Dr. Singh told The Tribune.
He noted encouraging signs in the outcomes. “We’ve seen a reduction in harm — fewer hepatitis cases and fewer drug overdose deaths. That speaks to the effectiveness of our harm-reduction model,” he added.
With a bolstered public health response and cross-sector coordination, Punjab is attempting to translate its crackdown on supply into long-term recovery and rehabilitation for those caught in the grip of addiction.
