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I am deeply honoured to receive the State Excellence Award for Outstanding Public Service at the State-Level Doctors’ Day Awards, presented by Hon’ble Dr. Balbir Singh, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Punjab.

I dedicate this honour to my patients, colleagues, volunteers, and The Kalgidhar Trust, whose unwavering support has made this mission possible.

“I see Guru Nanak in every patient; serving them is my way of serving the Guru.”

This recognition inspires me to continue working towards an addiction-free and mentally healthier society.

A Health Awareness Lecture on Importance of Dental Care and Preventive Measures will be conducted by Dr. Richa Parashar (BDS) at Gurdwara Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib, Sector 34D, Chandigarh. Join us on 11 January 2026 (10:30–11:30 AM) to learn practical steps for maintaining oral health and preventing dental diseases.

World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on 31 May. This yearly celebration informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what the World Health Organization (WHO) is doing to fight against the use of tobacco, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.

World No Tobacco Day was celebrated at Akal Drug De Addiction Centre cheema Sahib. Dr. Sukhwinder Singh, a senior Psychiatrist in the centre detailed the patients about the harmful effects of smoked and non smoked tobacco. He also cautioned the patients about drug addiction including tobacco as a high risk factor for COVID 19. On this occasion a short film on COVID 19 and Tobacoo was shown to the patients Dr. Yashpaul Singla (MO) also interacted with the patients.

In the recent years, the drug consumption in the city has been on the increasing trend. The increasing number of drug consumers is generally ob served to be in the age group of 18-25 years. The most common drugs consumed by the ad- dicts are opioids which include heroin, fentanyl and injectable drugs such as buprenorphine and pentazocine. Despite the government and private drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centres prevalent in different parts of the city, the usage of these drugs has alarmingly been on a rise in the last few years. Situations such as unemployment, ex- cess wealth, excessive stress level etc. are the mainstream reasons for intake of drugs by DR RAJINDER SINGH the consumers. Also, while treatments of drug addicts, the major concerns are the denial to addiction by the patients, non-regularity in follow-up sessions during the complete treatment procedure and the resistance by the serious ad dicted to be treated upon. Talking to Daily Post, Dr (Col) Rajinder Singh, who has also served as a psychiatric consul-tant in the Indian Army, said that the basic step to plummet the plight of drug addiction was to conduct awareness and education programmes in schools and colleges, and disseminate the malignity of drug consumption to the young citizens.

World Drug Abuse Day, which is celebrated every June 26, was observed in different locations in the city. A drug de-addiction treatment and awareness camp was organised by the Drug De-Addiction and Treatment Centre, Department Of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Educa- tion and Research (PGIMER) in Sector 52, Chandigarh. This camp was organised with a theme which emphasised on the development of lives, com- munities and identities without the use of drugs.

The City Beautiful that offers a sade haven for women is also tuming out to be addic tion hotspot for the fair sex Dr Rajinder Singh, a city based psychiatrist who is fight- ing against the drug menace for the past 50 years, feels that girls heading from small towns should not fall into the trap of te and glory of the city’s night life and pub culture. Chandigarh is surrounded by states that are orthodox A lot of social restrictions are imposed on women. When a young girl arrives in Chandi garh to pursue higher educa tion, she undergoes a culture shock, feels 5-year-old Rajinder Singh, who is run- ning two drug de-addiction centres in Punjab and Dr Rajinder Singh (85), who has been fighting against the drug menace for the past 50 years, shows a certificate, PRADEEP WAS Himachal and claimed to have rehabilitated over 22.000 drug addicts They move into paying guest accommodations, which offer fedble timings. Further, Chandigah is cosmopolitanin nature and relatively secure and open society But youngers are drawing a wrong con Relapse rate 90% in Dhanas The GMCH 32 conducted an awareness camp at the Civ Dispensary in Dhanas. As many as 16 addicts, who are hooked to alcohol and heroin, visited the camp on Tuesday. The relapse rate among addicts in this area is close to 90 per cent. A majority of the addicts belong to the lower socio-economic background. They are operating as peddlers. They consume and sell drugs,” observed psychiatrist Dr Priyanka who attended to the patients.

Chandigarh is surrounded bystates that are orthodox Alt of social restrictions are imposed onwomen. Whenayounggh amrives in Chandigarh to pursue higher education, she undergoes a cultureshock. They move into paying guest accommodations, which offer flexible timings. Further, Chandigarh is cosmopolitan in nature and relatively secure and opensociety. But youngsters are drawing a wrong connotation of this city 99 RAINDER SINGH, who runs tw drug de-addiction centenotation of this beautiful city said De Rajinder “For boys and girls, beer or alcohol and puffing become the gateway and further they
graduate to hard opiced sub stances,” said Dr Rajinder Singh while sharing a case where the daughter of a ‘Granthi who came to Chandigarh for studies got hooked to drugs Renowned paychiatrist P BS Chavan, Director GMCH32 also feels that substance addi ton was growing very fat among girls in the City B “Due to social stigma, women are not coming out in
the open to discuss their addio tion problem, which could lead to adverse health conse quences. Rather, addiction among women is not socially acceptable yet. The problem is gaining serious proportion, especially among girls study ing in colleges and university” observed Prof Chavan “Often it is being argued that if men can drink and try drugs why can’t they But we suggest that alcohol, nicotine and drugs are injurious to both women as for men,” stressed Prof Chavan.

Dr Rajinder Singh has been treating drug addicts and psychiatry pa thens for 62 years.

Talking to TOE on Interna tional Day Against Drug Abuse and illicit Trafficking on Tuesday, he said, “I feel ve ry disturbed when I see patients being discriminated by the society or family The so- clety needs to understand that addiction is an inoss too. The society should show empathy towards the patients and understand that recover Ing from addiction is a taxing ргосess.”

In the Army Col Singh served as the senior adviser In psychiatry It was only after his retirement from the Ar my In 1990 that he was reinvig orated by his wife to serve the society once more by helping drug addicts. Teaming up with his wife, he opened Bhai Kanhalya Charitable Dispensary in Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Gurdwa ra, Sector 34, Chandigarh, for patients who can’t afford medical treatment. Dr Rajinder has also been serving as a volunteer with Kalgidhar Trust, which runs two drug de-addiction contres, as di roctor and has attended thou- sands of patients till now.

He said the root cause of drug addiction in Punjab is narcode terrorism, complex nexus of drug bustness in the stane and peer pressure among youth. “Inculcating moral values by touching the hearts of people is a surefire way to eliminate drug addic tion,” Dr Rajinder said.

The Drug Deaddiction and Treatment Centr department of psychiatry PGL Chandigarh, received the pros dous national award as “Or antaron of Excellence for Its outstanding services in the feld of prevention of alcohol In and subsunce(drug abuse as the best time under the category Test Research and Innovation”.

The award was condornod by the ministry of social justice and empowerment, and was presented by Preside Ram Nath Kovind at an offetal fune ton held in Viyan Bhawan, New Delon Tasday which is International Day Against Drag Abuse and licht Track ng Earther, the centre was do cared a “Centre of Excellence by the ministry of health and family were in 20 Over the past 30 years, the centre has th senshoty pursued its mand of demand reduction, creating trained manpower for primary tortiary care, and conducting high quality tnnovative re search covering a wide range of areas in addiction psychitary.

Drug de-addiction camp at Kajheri

The department of psychia try. PGI, organised a drug de-addiction treatment and awareness camp in collabo ration with Art of Living at Kajherivillage in Sector 52on Tuesday. Around 50 patients were examined between 10 am and 2 pm. Medicines were distributed free of cost. Dr Prashant Agrawal, senior resident, and Manpreet Kaur, asocial worker, gave a brief talk to the volunteers.

कुछ दिन पहले की है 5 साल के अब तक 6000 युवाओं को निकाल चुके नशे की गिरफ्त से।

रिटायर्ड कर्नल राजिंदर सिंह बोले- शराब के खुले प्रचलन से युवा आ रहे नशे की गिरफ्त में

चंडीगढ़ पंजाब में पूरे देशभर से तीन से चार गुना अधिक का इस्तेमाल हो रहा है। अफगानिस्तान और पाकिस्तान से पंजाब के बार्डर एलिया के जरिए देशभर में इम्स की सप्लाई हो रही है। पहले यहां से जो इस अभी वह दिल्ली, मुंबई समेत देश के अन्य बड़े शहरों में सप्लाई होती थी लेकिन अब इसका इस्तेमाल पंड में काफी बहुत बढ़ गया है। नशे की जद में सबसे अधिक 18 से 27 साल के युवाओं के अलावा डॉक्टर फार्मासिस्ट पुलिसकर्मी सेना बीएफ और सीआरपीएफ के जवान तक है। सेना में मना में बतौर वरिष्ठ सलाह दे चुके और 62 साल से मनोचिकित्सक रोगियों का इलाज कर रहे [35] विंदर सिंह ने इंटरनेशनल स्ट इस के मौके पर यह बातें सेक्टर-10 में पत्रकारों से बातों में उन्होंने बताया कि पंजाब में का सबसे अहम कारण यहा का बढ़ता प्रचलन है।

नशे की शुरुआत शराब और धूम्र से ही करते हैं। इसके बाद यह की लत में कम जाते हैं। रजिंदर वर्तमान में पत्नी के साथ मिलकर दो एनजीओ को सेवाएं दे रहे हैं। यह संस्थाएं लोगों को नशा छुड़ाने में मदद करती है। जिटर सिंह अब तक ऐसे युवाओं का इलाज कर चुके हैं, जो नशे के आदि थे। उनका मानना है कि पंजाब में कोई भी पारिवारिक या अन्य तरह का कार्यक्रम हो, उनमें शराब के खुले प्रचलन के कारण नशाखोरी बढ़ रही है। रिटा कमल ने माना कि नहीं की लत अब सेना व अन्य पैरामिलिट्री के अलावा पुलिस जवानों को भी गिरफ्त में से चुकी है। उनके पास दर्जनों मिलिट्री के जनों में
शराब के अत्यधिक सेवन के मामले होते हैं।

रिटायर्ड कर्नल राजिंदर सिंह बोले- शराब के खुले प्रचलन से युवा आ रहे नशे की गिरफ्त में

चंडीगढ़ पंजाब में पूरे देशभर से तीन से चार गुना अधिक का इस्तेमाल हो रहा है। अफगानिस्तान और पाकिस्तान से पंजाब के बार्डर एलिया के जरिए देशभर में इम्स की सप्लाई हो रही है। पहले यहां से जो इस अभी वह दिल्ली, मुंबई समेत देश के अन्य बड़े शहरों में सप्लाई होती थी लेकिन अब इसका इस्तेमाल पंड में काफी बहुत बढ़ गया है। नशे की जद में सबसे अधिक 18 से 27 साल के युवाओं के अलावा डॉक्टर फार्मासिस्ट पुलिसकर्मी सेना बीएफ और सीआरपीएफ के जवान तक है। सेना में मना में बतौर वरिष्ठ सलाह दे चुके और 62 साल से मनोचिकित्सक रोगियों का इलाज कर रहे [35] विंदर सिंह ने इंटरनेशनल स्ट इस के मौके पर यह बातें सेक्टर-10 में पत्रकारों से बातों में उन्होंने बताया कि पंजाब में का सबसे अहम कारण यहा का बढ़ता प्रचलन है।

नशे की शुरुआत शराब और धूम्र से ही करते हैं। इसके बाद यह की लत में कम जाते हैं। रजिंदर वर्तमान में पत्नी के साथ मिलकर दो एनजीओ को सेवाएं दे रहे हैं। यह संस्थाएं लोगों को नशा छुड़ाने में मदद करती है। जिटर सिंह अब तक ऐसे युवाओं का इलाज कर चुके हैं, जो नशे के आदि थे। उनका मानना है कि पंजाब में कोई भी पारिवारिक या अन्य तरह का कार्यक्रम हो, उनमें शराब के खुले प्रचलन के कारण नशाखोरी बढ़ रही है। रिटा कमल ने माना कि नहीं की लत अब सेना व अन्य पैरामिलिट्री के अलावा पुलिस जवानों को भी गिरफ्त में से चुकी है। उनके पास दर्जनों मिलिट्री के जनों में
शराब के अत्यधिक सेवन के मामले होते हैं।