Scheme for Strengthening of Drug De-Addiction Services

Drug treatment clinics are made functional in government healthcare facility, like district hospital, civil hospitals, and department of psychiatry in medical colleges. The purpose of these DTCs is to provide exclusive outpatient services for patients with any kind of substance use problems. The DTCs are provided dedicated staff like a medical officer, counselor and nurse, which will work on contractual basis to provide drug treatment services. The DTC services include pharmacological management in form of Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT), Buprenorphine maintenance treatment (BMT), detoxification from all drugs of use, long-term pharmacological management, smoking cessation; psychosocial services like individual counseling, group therapy; and referral services as need be.

All the DTCs provide medicines free of cost. Moreover, it has also been envisaged that the DTCs will also provide community based services in form of awareness programs, information and education material and early detection. Moreover, some of these DTCs will also be equipped with dealing with special groups such as women and children.