Chandigarh, April 20: Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh announced the addition of 550 new beds to the state’s de-addiction facilities and the establishment of new Out-Patient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) centres in Ludhiana as part of the ongoing “Yudh Nashya Virudh” campaign.
While addressing the media, Dr. Singh said Punjab currently has 480 de-addiction beds, and the expansion will significantly boost the state’s treatment capacity. “We are allocating 100 new beds to DMC Hospital, 50 to CMC, 100 to the upcoming Government Homeopathic Medical College, 190 to the nursing college, and 200 to a private medical college. Additional beds will be added to two government medical colleges,” he said.
The minister also noted that OOAT centres will be opened wherever required to ensure access to quality treatment. “This campaign is not just about law enforcement. We are working on a multi-layered approach under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann — from strengthening medical infrastructure to cracking down on peddlers, while also offering compassionate treatment to addicts,” he said.
Dr. Singh added that alongside medical care, the state will offer skills training aligned with industrial needs, and agricultural training in high-value crops for addicts with a farming background. “The goal is long-term rehabilitation through self-employment and social reintegration,” he said.
The minister was joined by MLAs Madan Lal Bagga and Daljit Singh Bhola Grewal, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain, SSP Jyoti Yadav Bains, and Dr. Ankur Gupta during the review of the campaign’s progress.
He said the “Yudh Nashya Virudh” campaign has already disrupted the drug supply chain across the state, with strict action taken against traffickers. “We are committed to a drug-free Punjab. The momentum we’ve built will continue until every addict receives help and every trafficker is behind bars,” Dr. Singh said.
