Illegal drug counselling centre sealed; 5 addicts shifted to CHC

Tarn Taran, February 9

A team of the district health officials led by Deputy Medical Commissioner (DMC) Dr Sandeep Kalra sealed a drug counselling and rehabilitation centre at Assal Utaar village here on Thursday. The centre was allegedly being run illegally.

The officials said the management of the said centre failed to produce any authority or the permission given to them by the state government or other appropriate authority to run the drug counselling centre. The centre had been functioning for the last four years. The centre management had applied for permission to the department, but that was rejected according to the record produced by the centre management.

An official of the Health Department said the team was led by Dr Sandeep Kalra while Dr Gurinder Singh, district psychiatrist, Dr Jatinder Kaur, SMO, Community Health Centre, Khemkaran, Harjit Singh, Block Extension Educator (BEE), and Jugraj Singh, Health Supervisor, were members of the team. Besides, Sub-Inspector Sunita Rani, SHO, Khemkaran, was heading security arrangements on the occasion.

The department official revealed that the team of the department found five addict patients who had come to the centre for treatment voluntarily. The team shifted the patients to the CHC, Khemkaran, but they moved to their houses. The Health Department team has apprised higher officials of the department of the situation.

However, Dr Sandeep Kalra denied to divulge any information of the raid on the centre.