CHARSADDA: Out of the 18 drug rehabilitation centres in Charsadda, only four are registered with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Healthcare Commission.
According to sources, most of these centres are operating illegally and treating drug addicts using unregulated and non-medical methods. Critical screenings such as drug tests and HIV testing are not being conducted at the time of patient admission.
They said that the number of rehabilitation centres in Charsadda had significantly increased over the past three years, turning this sector into a commercial business. Registration with the Healthcare Commission is mandatory to operate a rehab centre, but only a small number are properly registered.
Provincial spokesperson for the Healthcare Commission Azam Khan said that it was compulsory for a registered drug rehabilitation facility to have a psychologist, psychiatrist, medical officer, and medical technician. However, he said that out of the 18 rehab centres in Charsadda, only four met these criteria and were registered.
Dawood Khan, a director of one such centres, admitted that very few facilities offered standard medical services. He said that due to the strict requirements and the lack of qualified staff like psychologists and medical officers, most owners avoided registering with the commission.
Sources revealed that neither drug tests nor mandatory screenings like HIV tests were being conducted upon patient admission. “This negligence is contributing to a rise in HIV cases in the region,” they added.
In July alone, 176 HIV cases were reported across various hospitals in Charsadda, including one case of AIDS.
Estimates suggest a growing number of drug addicts in Charsadda. In the district jail, over 95 percent of the more than 350 inmates are reported to be drug addicts.
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 patients are currently undergoing treatment at various drug rehab centres in the district, many through questionable and non-medical methods.
District Social Welfare Officer Abdul Qadir Khan said that although 18 organisations had registered with his department, they had not been authorised to run hospitals. He said that operating a rehab facility required full compliance with standard Operating procedures (SOPs) and formal registration with the Healthcare Commission.
When contacted, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Relief) Nisar Khan said that the district administration would soon launch an operation to shut down illegal and substandard rehabilitation centres in the district.