23-07-2025
Efforts on to reopen GMSH-16 drug de-addiction centre closed for 5 years
The Chandigarh administration has once again initiated efforts to reopen the drug de-addiction centre at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, which has remained closed for the last five years. The health department has been asked to make arrangements, but due to a shortage of psychiatrists, the centre is yet to become operational.
According to Dr Suman Singh, Director of Health Services, a proposal has already been sent to the administration for the recruitment of two psychiatrists. She mentioned that the department currently has only two psychiatrists who are already overloaded with patient cases, making it impossible to run the de-addiction centre with the existing staff. Therefore, additional dedicated staff is essential.
This de-addiction centre at GMSH was first opened around 10 years ago but had to be shut during the Covid-19 pandemic when the facility was converted into a Covid care centre. Since then, the lack of psychiatrists and other staff has prevented its reopening.
The facility is equipped with 10 beds, but to operate efficiently, it requires 24×7 staff, including psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. As only two psychiatrists are available for all psychiatric and addiction cases, managing the high patient load from the entire region is a challenge. Drug and alcohol abuse remain a major issue in this region, contributing to the rising number of addiction patients.
Despite the rising numbers, PGI remains the only public institution offering full-scale addiction treatment, while GMCH-32 and GMSH-16 offer basic psychiatric services. In 2023, PGI's Drug De-addiction and Treatment Centre recorded 36,683 OPD visits, 12,570 from Chandigarh and 24,112 from neighbouring states. Approximately 246 patients were admitted for inpatient treatment, with a significant number from Punjab. In Punjab, the highest use is of opioids, with synthetic drugs now also being used more frequently.
Subodh B N, Additional Professor, Department of Psychiatry, PGI, says that a decade ago, 80 per cent of cases were of alcohol dependency. Still, now the percentage is 50, as the use of opioids and cannabis has increased, with PGI offering patients Opioid Substitution Therapy. Doctors stress that without dedicated staff and proper infrastructure, the situation will continue to push patients toward unregulated private de-addiction centres, especially in Punjab. Reopening GMSH's de-addiction centre remains a critical need, but hiring qualified professionals continues to be a major hurdle.
