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De-addiction centres not following norms
Around 50 unauthorised private de-addiction centres are functioning in Telangana without maintaining medical standards prescribed by the State government.
Hyderabad: Around 50 unauthorised private de-addiction centres are functioning in Telangana without maintaining medical standards prescribed by the State government.
According to Mental Health Act, 1987 the centres must treat the patients for 90 days only. But many centres in Hyderabad give treatment for 120 to 150 days. These centres should also have separate wards for Alcoholic addicts and drug addicts but in many cases, it is not so.
Speaking to The Hans India R Rajendra Prasad, a Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police who fought against illegal de- addiction centres said there was gross negligence on the part of the licensing authority. The board of visitors do not take up inspection of these centres for years.
Interestingly, under the Mental Health Act, 1987 the Health Department has no authority to close the unauthorised centres. Sources said that in the last three years more centres had come up and about 10 of them had applied for license and two had applied for renewal of licences but the government had been sitting over the applications as it is yet to constitute ‘Board of Visitors”.
The board of visitors should inspect these centres after six months of establishing a de-addiction centre and check if the centre has necessary facilities. They should also interact with the de-addicted patients about their treatment and record the number of patients and submit a report to the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), which is the authority to issue the licenses to the centres in the State.
Sources said DME had written a letter to government for the appointing the Board of Visitors consisting of Director of Medical Education, Joint Secretary (health dept.), Deputy Commissioner of Police Task Force Secunderabad, Deputy Director Drugs Control (Hyderabad), Superintendent of IMH and two Social workers.
In fact, after bifurcation of the State the records regarding the formation of board of visitors and other matters relating to the de-addiction centres have not been handed over to the Telangana government officials claim.
By V Naveen Kumar
