Claims to have brought a 50 percent decline in supplies of Schedule-H drugs from the market of State.
M4PNews|Chandigarh
Surprisingly, the Punjab Government has a unique take on its war against drugs movement. The government is claiming that they have been able to bring a decline in the availability of Schedule-H drugs even prescribed one from the market which means patients who are depending on life-saving drugs are now not been able to have access to the same as 70 percent of life-saving drugs are SCHEDULE-H Drugs only. Ridiculing this Claim, people from this industry on the condition of anonymity, a PGIMER doctor suggesting the government to at least substantiate it enough with the right figures.
What the government is claiming to seem far from reality. As, it is impossible to bring this much decline in supplies of Schedule-H drugs because most of the cardiac, renal, neuro, pulmonary and psychiatry patients of many such diseases are surviving on Schedule-H drugs only says a leading Pharmaceutical Company owner from Chandigarh.
The Government has this audacity to claim such an irrelevant figure when thousands of youth of the state have fallen in prey of drugs and have already succumbed to this, “जंगल में मोर नाचा किसने देखा” says Manpreet Kaur who lost her son to drugs.
What Government Claims- Some excerpts
War Against Drugs
i. Revamped Strategy – Adopted a three-pronged EDP – Enforcement, De-addiction, and Prevention strategy with the following measures/results:
a) Special Task Force (STF) established to tackle the Drug menace immediately after assuming power in the State.
b) The results till 31.7. 2019 are as follows:
a) 27,744 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act.
b) 33,622 persons have been arrested.
c) More than 767 kg of heroin has been recovered besides other contraband substances.
d) Zero tolerance – Daljit Singh DSP, Inspector Inderjit Singh, and ASI Ajaib Singh are among 23 police personnel who have been arrested for suspicion in abetting activities related to drug abuse.
ii. 50% decline in supplies of Schedule-H drugs/prescription drugs – Assessment of All India Association of Pharmaceutical Companies.
4.
iii. Most drug traffickers have either left the State or have become dormant due to strong and decisive action.
iv. Passed legislation entitled “Punjab Forfeiture of Illegally Acquired Property Act 2017” which is pending for Presidential Assent.
v. Recommended death penalty to the Government of India for even the first offence by drug peddlers and smugglers under the NDPS Act.
vi. Launched Drug Abuse Prevention Officers’ (DAPO) Program to create a mass anti-drug abuse movement with 5.5 lakh DAPOs self-volunteers enrolled.
vii. Launched ‘Buddy’s’ Program’ for all schools and college students to educate and motivate children about the ill-effects of drugs. Aim to cover 40 lakh students in the State. Till now 7.5 lakh buddy groups have been formed who are continuously being taught about the ill effects of drugs by
Senior Buddies.
viii. Started 178 Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) Clinics for regular treatment of addicts. 87000 addicts are being treated. Additional 20 OOAT Clinics will be set up shortly.
ix. Permanent ban on Hookah bars in Punjab.
x. Wi-Fi CCTVs at all ‘nakas’ (check-post) at the borders to prevent smuggling of drugs into the state.
Though the Government has issued many such achievements list claiming to its different issues. Few of them are Mining, Zero tolerance against corruption, Non-VVIP culture, Gangster free state, Agriculture production on rising etc.
We suggest who so ever is going to read the government’s achievement card of two years, shall use their intellect before accepting it as reality.