Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Feb 20 : The Government on Friday informed the House that 32,517 drug abuse patients have been registered across Jammu and Kashmir since 2022, with de-addiction services being strengthened across the Union Territory.
The Health and Medical Education Department shared the information in the Legislative Assembly in response to clubbed questions by several MLAs regarding drug abuse in J&K and accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) shows that 16,759 patients were registered in the Kashmir division, while 15,758 patients were registered in the Jammu division.
It says, in Kashmir, the highest number of cases were reported from Srinagar 6,100, followed by Anantnag 2,157, Kulgam 2,075, Baramulla 1,623, Pulwama 1,312, and Budgam 1,166. “Other districts include Bandipora 817, Shopian 713, Kupwara 552 and Ganderbal 244.”
In Jammu division, the reply said, GMC Jammu recorded the highest number of registrations at 9,806, followed by GMC Kathua 1,529, GMC Rajouri 1,227, Udhampur 968, Ramban 577, Doda 566, Poonch 359, Kishtwar 311, Samba 292 and Reasi 123.
The also government said de-addiction services are being strengthened under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, with Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) functional in all districts of Kashmir and nine districts of Jammu division.
“These facilities provide both OPD and IPD services for comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation.”
As per the reply, 11 ATFs are functional in Kashmir division, while nine are functional in Jammu division, with one additional centre sanctioned but pending.
The government further informed, that de-addiction OPD services are operational in all 20 districts of J&K, while IPD services are available in all Government Medical Colleges. Psychiatrists have been posted in GMCs to ensure specialist care.
Regarding Pulwama and Samba, the government said there is no proposal at present to establish separate drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centres in these districts.
“However, an existing Drug De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre at Bajwani, Tral (Pulwama) is functional and catering to patients from across the district,” they said.
It also said that an Addiction Treatment Facility at District Hospital Samba has been operational since February 2024, offering psychiatric OPD, counselling, treatment services, and free de-addiction medicines.
The government added that awareness campaigns, community outreach programmes and Panchayat-level monitoring are being carried out to identify vulnerable youth and facilitate their treatment and rehabilitation.—(KNO)
