- Treatment centres provide free treatment, boarding and lodging facilities to drug addicts
The Model Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centres (MATRCs) in Islamabad, Karachi and Quetta have spent around Rs 41 million for providing treatment to 3,500 drug addicts during last three years.
These MATRCs are being run under the supervision of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) – one each at Islamabad, Quetta and Karachi. The treatment centre at Karachi is run with the donations of philanthropists.
Giving break-up of expenditures of two centres, sources at the Interior Division on Wednesday said that during the year 2014-15, the government provided around Rs 13 million to the Islamabad MATRC while Rs 9.5 million was provided to the Quetta centre.
Similarly, the sources said during the year 2015-16, the expenditures incurred in the MATRC Islamabad were Rs11.5 million and Rs5.9 million in the Quetta centre. The Islamabad MATRC also spent Rs 0.7 million in six months (July to December 2016).
The centre-wise details of patients treated, the sources said three MATRCs provided treatment to 1285 addicts in 2014, including 384 in the Islamabad centre, 380 in the MATRC Quetta and 521 in the MATRC Karachi.
In 2015, three MATRCs provided treatment to more than 1210 addicts, including 398 in the Islamabad centre, 261 in the MATRC Quetta and 551 in the MATRC Karachi.
In 2016, three MATRCs provided treatment to 913 addicts, including 319 in Islamabad centre, 6 in MATRC Quetta and 588 in MATRC Karachi.
The sources said that the Interior Narcotics Control Ministry was also constructing a 100-bedded drug treatment hospital in Peshawar for treatment and detoxification of drug users in the province.
The sources said that the treatment centres provide free treatment, boarding and lodging facilities to drug addicts.
MATRC Islamabad and Quetta (45 bedded)) are government-funded while MATRC Karachi (55 bedded) is being run on self-help basis (donors support).
Giving further details, the sources said that in Islamabad, a 45-bedded Model Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre was established at Thanda Pani, Lehtrar Road which has now been shifted at Model Town, Industrial Area, Islamabad.
The Islamabad MATRC has been working since 2005 with a capacity to provide free of charge medical treatment and rehabilitation to 360 drug addicts per year.
In Quetta, the 45-bedded Model Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre was established at Chaman Housing Scheme, Airport Road.
Moreover, a 55-bedded Model Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre was established in May 2010 at Kalri (Lyari), Karachi. In addition, female and juvenile drug treatment ward is also under construction at MATRC Karachi.