JAMMU, Feb 20 : More than 32,500 individuals have been registered for drug de-addiction treatment across Jammu and Kashmir since 2022, with the Kashmir Valley accounting for a majority of the cases, the government informed the Legislative Assembly on Friday.
Responding to a joint query by legislators Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah, Surjeet Singh Slathia, Ali Mohammad Sagar and Ghulam Mohi Ud Din Mir, the Minister Incharge for Health & Medical Education Department provided a district-wise breakdown of patients registered at various Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) in the Union Territory of which a copy accessed news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS).
According to the data tabled in the House, a gross total of 32,517 patients have been registered so far. Of these, 16,759 were reported from the Kashmir division, while the Jammu division recorded 15,758 cases.
Srinagar district emerged as the worst hit, registering the highest number of cases at 6,100. It was followed by Anantnag (2,157), Budgam (2,075), Baramulla (1,623), and Kulgam (1,312). Other Kashmir districts reported figures including Pulwama (713), Kupwara (552), Bandipora (817), Ganderbal (244), and Shopian (244).
In the Jammu division, the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu has handled the maximum load, registering 9,806 patients. This was followed by GMC Kathua (1,529), GMC Doda (980), GMC Udhampur (968), and GMC Rajouri (566). District-wise figures from the Jammu region also included Kishtwar (311), Poonch (359), Ramban (577), Reasi (123), and Samba (292).
The minister informed the House that OPD-based de-addiction services are now functional in all 20 districts of the UT. In-patient (IPD) services are available at all nine Government Medical Colleges (GMCs), with psychiatrists posted to provide clinical oversight.
The government has established 11 Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) in the Kashmir division, with each district hospital offering six dedicated IPD beds. In the Jammu division, nine ATFs are currently functional, with the government noting that one is sanctioned but its operationalisation is pending.
Responding specifically to legislators’ concerns about Pulwama and Samba districts, the government clarified that while there is no proposal for a new centre in Pulwama, the existing Drug De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre at Village Bajwani in Tral is fully functional and catering to patients from across the district.
Regarding Samba, the minister stated that an Addiction Treatment Facility was established at the District Hospital in February 2024. Sponsored by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS New Delhi, under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the centre currently operates on an OPD basis, providing free medicines and counselling services.
The government stated that efforts are being made to strengthen these services under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, including community outreach programmes, awareness campaigns through print media, and improving referral linkages to higher centres for specialized rehabilitation.(KNS)
