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More drug users in jail than in rehab — DOH, DDB


More drug users are in jail than in drug rehabilitation centers due to a lack of information given to surrenderers and the mildness of their condition, according to a report on Balitanghali.

Health Sec. Dr. Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial explained that most of the 1.6 million surrenderers in jail are casual users whose addiction is mild enough that they do not require in-patient treatment at rehabilitation centers.

"Majority or 99 actually are identified for outpatient or community-based rehabilitation," she said.

Only 12,000 out of 1.6 million drug surrenderers are in any of the 44 Department of Health-accredited drug rehabilitation centers around the country; 170 of these are alone in occupying the 500-bed mega drug rehab facility in Nueva Ecija.

Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Chairman Benjamin Reyes added that most are not aware that they could request for a transfer after undergoing a court procedure and assessment to judge their suitability for treatment with other patients.

"We will wave yung kanyang criminal liabilities later on kung maparusahan siya. Ibabawas yung rehab sentence niya," Reyes said.

The DDB estimated that 2.4 million drug users have yet to surrender. Of these, the DOH said 40,000 will require in-patient treatment.

A P826 million cash grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will be awarded to the government to build more facilities and train more personnel that will handle these patients' rehabilitiation.

"As a long-standing friend and development partner of the Philippines, JICA supports DOH toward working for common vision of a drug-free society," Susumo Ito, JICA Chief Representative, said.

Drug surrenderees will be rehabilitated for their addiction and other mental illnesses. Addiction is a form of mental illness and often a comorbidity of an existing condition, said Ubial.

"The treatment of drug dependents should not be separated from mental illness. In fact, drug dependence is a mental illness," she added.

Ubial explained in October that 90 to 99 percent of surrenderers are mostly casual or experimental users who need community-based programs managed by barangay officials and social workers.

An estimated two to three percent of surrenderers will receive outpatient treatment supervised by 1,300 health professionals trained by the DOH to respond to counseling and assessment of rehab patients. 

Only one to two percent of drug surrenderers have a severe type of addiction that requires admission to drug rehabilitation facilities. — Rie Takumi/MDM, GMA News

 
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