Punjab has decided to recruit 200 psychologists, with immediate effect, to provide essential assistance and counselling to individuals striving to overcome drug addiction.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee on ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ (War Against Drugs), a campaign launched by the state government to weed out drugs from Punjab, took this decision yesterday, to provide maximum mental and emotional support to drug-dependent patients to help them out of the addiction.
Although this recruitment would be on a temporary basis for six months, during this half-year, a process to employ psychiatrists across various districts would also be initiated.
State Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the basic infrastructure for the treatment of drug addicts is also being taken care of, as the number of beds in government hospitals and drug de-addiction centres has been increased.
He said that the services of private nursing institutes and de-addiction centres will also be utilised for additional beds. All associated costs of treatment will be borne by the state.