NEW DELHI: To enable those seeking treatment for drug addiction to access information on existing facilities, the Centre has geo-tagged all institutional treatment centres, drop-in and community-based peer led facilities supported by the social justice ministry.
There are around 560 such centres across the country and their location, address, photograph and contact details of the person in-charge are now available at the click of a mouse on the ministry’s website. An ministry official told TOI that geo-tagging of institutions would help people to find the nearest treatment, counselling and rehabilitation facility and seek information. This move will also help people stay away from fake centres.
To weed out fake NGOs or those not working in compliance with norms set by the ministry for centres, an inspection process is on and teams have assessed nearly 400 of the integrated rehabilitation centres for addicts supported by the ministry. Some centres’ registration have been cancelled, sources said.
The government has written to states to identify hospitals in vulnerable districts where AIIMS can help in setting up dedicated addiction treatment facilities.