Punjab to involve private psychiatrists in deaddiction efforts
To strengthen deaddiction services across Punjab, health minister Dr Balbir Singh announced the inclusion of private psychiatrists in government-run deaddiction centres. The move aims to address the growing patient load and improve the quality of care for individuals battling substance abuse.
Under the new initiative, private psychiatrists will provide consultations at government deaddiction centres for two hours each weekday. To encourage participation, the government has offered a remuneration of ₹1,500 per hour. Psychiatrists will have the flexibility to choose their consultation timings to avoid clashes with their private practice.
A key highlight of the programme is the government's decision to allow participating private psychiatrists to dispense Buprenorphine, a drug used in opioid substitution treatment (OST). Until now, the use of Buprenorphine was restricted to government facilities and licenced private substance use disorder treatment centres (SUDTCs). Legislative changes will be made to facilitate this expansion.
'At present, some centres have a single doctor handling over 250 to 300 patients a day. This affects the quality of care. With private psychiatrists coming on board, the patient load will be shared, improving overall treatment outcomes,' said Dr Balbir Singh.
Dr Ashish Sharma, secretary of the Association of Psychiatrists, welcomed the move and described Buprenorphine as the 'gold standard' in opioid addiction treatment. While some psychiatrists expressed concerns about the timeline for implementation, the minister assured that those who complete the necessary formalities will be allowed to begin OST within a week.
Punjab currently has 36 government deaddiction centres with around 45 psychiatrists. The state has also collaborated with private hospitals, medical and nursing colleges to increase the number of available deaddiction beds to around 5,000.
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