S. Jaswant Singh Chaapa, President of Sarbat da Bhala Charitable Trust, Ludhiana Unit, and Dr. Inderjit Singh, Director of Dr. D.N. Kotnis Acupuncture Hospital, today met Dr. Balbir Singh, Hon’ble Health and Family Welfare Minister, Punjab. Dr. Raghubir Singh and Dr. Ajaypal Singh Thind were also present with them. During the meeting, various important issues related to healthcare services in Punjab, the drug problem, helping youth come out of addiction, and strengthening drug de-addiction services were discussed. S. Jaswant Singh Chaapa stated that the Aam Aadmi Party Government has been making significant efforts through its campaign against drugs to address the drug problem in Punjab and move towards eliminating it from the roots. He expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the Punjab Government and Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh for their efforts and said that social organizations are also fully prepared to cooperate in the campaign to make Punjab drug-free. Dr. Inderjit Singh said that there is a need to further strengthen scientific and medical approaches to treatment in de-addiction centres, particularly to address the challenge of synthetic drugs. He suggested that, depending upon the condition of the patient and the type of substance involved, medical treatment, counselling, acupuncture, moxibustion, mental health support and rehabilitation can be integrated as part of a comprehensive approach. He stated that acupuncture and moxibustion may be helpful for some patients in managing stress, anxiety, sleep difficulties and other symptoms occurring during the process of overcoming addiction, and should be used under the supervision of trained doctors as part of a comprehensive de-addiction and rehabilitation programme. During the meeting, it was also mentioned that, with the objective of making the de-addiction and treatment system more effective, a letter along with suggestions regarding necessary amendments to the NDPS Act had been sent to the Health Minister approximately one and a half years ago. S. Jaswant Singh Chaapa and Dr. Inderjit Singh stated that protecting the youth of Punjab from drugs is not only the responsibility of the Government but a collective responsibility of the entire society. Therefore, awareness, timely treatment, family support, counselling, rehabilitation, employment and skill development efforts must be taken forward together. They thanked Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh for giving them his valuable time and for the efforts being made against drugs in Punjab, and expressed confidence that through joint efforts of the Government, healthcare professionals and social organizations, more effective steps can be taken towards making Punjab drug-free.
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