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Health Ministry launches Drug Rehab Centre at GPHC
With the intended purpose of providing a facility to cater to the needs of substance abusers free of cost the Ministry of Health yesterday officially launched the Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
According to Head of the Unit, Ms Sheranne Isaacs, this will see the Ministry expanding the services offered to substance abusers by means of an Out-patient Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre.
She said that the Ministry will be providing technical support for the out-patient service which will be available while medical services will be provided by the personnel at the GPHC.
Isaacs also revealed that the Social Work component, including motivational Therapy, will be delivered through collaboration with Civil Society Groups such as the Phoenix Recovery Project, the Salvation Army Men’s Social Service and the Guyana Association of Professionals.
Addressing the gathering at the launching ceremony, Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, regarded the venture as simple but yet ground breaking.
According to him Guyana is responding to a problem that has a global reach and impact. He said that the harmful use of substance is not only related to illicit drugs but also to those that are legally available.
He said that in Guyana the response to this problem is two-pronged since its addresses demand reduction and the supply aspect.
He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs is the lead agency in dealing with the supply side, while the Health Ministry is leading the drive towards demand reduction.
And according to the Minister staffers within the Health Ministry’s Drug Reduction Unit have engaged nothing less than an aggressive approach.
“In our case any approach that only deals with persuading people that abstinence is best will fail. It has to be mixed to also deal with persons who have not abstained and who already have problems.”
The Minister said that the centre will deal with persons who are living addicted lives and those who are on the path of becoming addicted.
He said that it has been observed that the numbers of users far exceeds the number of people who live addicted lives.
He said that staffers must work towards changing that course forthwith in order to reduce the number of addicted persons.
“We in the Ministry of Health do not consider these persons as criminals we see them as sisters and brothers who need our assistance.”
The Minister cautioned that he does not see the venture as the sole responsibility of the Ministry. He pointed out that since the Ministry is the lead agency it will remain in the forefront of the process but expects that it will become a national effort.
“It must be an effort that involves all sectors.
The Ministry of Education must be an important partner; the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Prisons Authority, the Ministry of Legal Affairs, and the Ministry of Youth Sport and Culture are all very significant partners in this effort. But significantly, too, Civil Society must be a part of the effort.”
While the involvement of the various partnering agencies is essential, Dr Ramsammy noted the importance of faith-based organisations which he believes should also be a part of the effort.
He said that every citizen should be involved to make people aware that abstaining is the best course to take.
He said that with this anticipated coalition of hope which could help reverse the fate of those already on the path of destruction, giving them a chance at recovery and rehabilitation is the way forward.
But even as the coalition expands to include both the public and private sectors, faith-based organisations and international partners the need for the inclusion of family members is also crucial.
“The family is the most important part of the coalition. For hope to be restored for the realisation of the dream that addicts would return to productive lives with a change course would fail if families are not involved.”
Minister Ramsammy outlined that when the family is destroyed in a country the community will accordingly be affected.
And so as a national asset the Minister said that the centre will serve to effectively tackle the problem of substance abuse.
He said that the Ministry will aptly resourced so that it can be a centre that offers only high quality service.
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