CHANDIGARH: Scarce availability of illicit drugs due to the coronavirus lockdown has forced drug addicts to get enrolled for treatment at government and private-run centres in Punjab. As per estimates by AIIMS, Punjab is home to about 7.2 lakh addicts.

The abrupt lockdown enforced from March 23 not only blocked the supply chain of drugs but also made it difficult for addicts to procure them. In last two weeks, on average, over 1,000 addicts have approached deaddiction centres for treatment daily, giving muchneeded push to the government's efforts to increase the treatment coverage. As many as 15,754 new substance addicts have started treatment at government-run 198 outpatient opioid-assisted treatment (OOAT) clinics, and 106 private deaddiction centres. Of these, 8,091 are registered at OOAT clinics and 7,663 in private, taking the overall tally addicts undergoing treatment to 4.15 lakh.

Vigilance up in villages during curfew: STF chief

Punjab anti-drug STF head ADGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu said the number of drug addicts has gone up at deaddiction centres as well as OOAT clinics due to breakdown in supply of drugs. “We are requesting sarpanches and DAPOs to induct maximum drug addicts in deaddiction centres during curfew,” he said, adding that because of curfew and increased vigilance even at village level, there has been decline in drug recoveries as well.

Dr PD Garg, professor of psychiatry at Government Medical College Amritsar, said on average about 15 new patients are coming to Amritsar centre for treatment daily. “Treatment of all the new patients is immediately started and are given take home medicine for two weeks,” said Dr Garg.

Punjab health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said a large number of people have starting taking treatment for addiction. This number will continue to rise and the government is committed to providing them free treatment, he added. “It’s a good sign that more addicts have started coming for treatment after the lockdown was imposed,” said Sidhu.