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.