Jammu Kashmir: Govt Says 32,517 Patients Registered in Drug De-Addiction Centres Since 2022 | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The government in the Assembly said that drug de-addiction services have been strengthened across the Union territory, with outpatient services functional in 20 districts and inpatient services available at all nine Government Medical Colleges, and that 32,517 patients have been registered for treatment since 2022.

The information was supplied in a written reply to a starred question tabled by MLA Devyani Rana. The Health and Medical Education Department said addiction treatment facilities under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan are operational in every district of the Kashmir Division and in nine districts of the Jammu Division, providing dedicated IPD beds and OPD services to ensure comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation.

According to the reply, 11 addiction treatment facilities (ATFs) are functional in the Kashmir Division, and nine in the Jammu Division; one additional ATF in Jammu is sanctioned but pending operationalisation. The department said psychiatrists are posted in all Government Medical Colleges to provide clinical oversight and specialist support, and that IPD services are available in all nine GMCs, catering to both male and female patients.

The administration listed government-run ATFs and district hospitals offering services. In Kashmir, these include the Director, SKIMS, and the GMCs at Bemina, Anantnag, Baramulla, and Handwara, and the district hospitals at Kulgam, Shopian, Pulwama, Budgam, Ganderbal, and Bandipora. In the Jammu division, the facilities include GMCs at Doda, Jammu, Kathua, Rajouri and Udhampur and district hospitals at Kishtwar, Poonch, Ramban and Reasi; DH Samba is functional on an OPD basis. The reply further identified several NGO and government-aided centres operating in the Valley and Jammu, naming community initiatives and civil-society providers involved in outpatient and rehabilitation work.

On caseload, the department said district-wise reporting showed that 32,517 patients were registered for treatment since 202. It also said that treatment infrastructure in Kashmir district hospitals typically includes around six IPD beds per hospital to support local case management and referrals to GMCs where required.

District-wise figures placed before the Assembly show the following number of patients registered for de-addiction treatment since 2022 across Jammu and Kashmir: in the Kashmir Division, Srinagar 6,100; Bandipora 817; Budgam 1,166; Kulgam 2,075; Pulwama 1,312; Shopian 713; Ganderbal 244; Kupwara 52; Anantnag 2157; Baramulla 1,623. In Jammu Division — GMC Jammu 9,806; GMC Doda 566; GMC Kathua 1529; GMC Rajouri 1227; GMC Udhampur 968; Kishtwar 311; Poonch 359; Ramban 577; Samba 292; Reasi 123.

The department emphasised that de-addiction services form part of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and related Health Department initiatives and described current capacity expansion as driven by a combination of government medical colleges, district hospitals and partner NGOs. However, the reply also noted that no fresh proposal or timeline for establishing additional drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centres is presently under consideration in the department.