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SMALLER CENTERS NEEDED MORE

Santiago says mega rehab center ‘a miscalculation’


President Rodrigo Duterte may have been ill-advised when he accepted the construction of the 10,000-bed mega rehabilitation center inside Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija, Dangerous Drugs Board chairman Dionisio Santiano said on Thursday.

According to Maki Pulido's report on "24 Oras", Santiago said the construction of smaller regional rehabilitation centers would have made more sense.

"May miscalculation. I don't know who suggested to the President... Sa halip siguro na magtayo sa isang mega-rehab magtayo tayo ng facilities na maliliit," Santiago said.

"Ang rehabilitation, kailangan niyan ng support system, community support. Pano pupunta dun kung dun mo iipunin yung 5,000? Ibig sabihin, pati sa Mindanao diyan pupunta. 'Di para kang Bilibid," he added.

Santiago suggested a regionalized system to allow drug dependents to be close to their support system and cut down the rate of relapse.

"Drug rehab needs family support eh. So kung dadalhin mo doon ang lahat ng addict mo, kagaya ng — merong taga-Batangas diyan. Hindi maka-dalaw ang pamilya dahil unang-una, malayo at magastos," Santiago said.

The Department of Health is reportedly asking for more funding to build regional facilities, as stated in its drug rehabilitation plan.

"Nanghihingi pa ang DOH para makumpleto yung mga, by law, regional health facilities. Kulang pa ng apat," Santiago said on QRT.

"Si presidente, kung maganda ang pagkaka-advise sa kanya, pwede sabihin, o yung pera ibigay mo, tatayo namin yung apat," he added.

Former Health Secretary Paulyn Rosell-Ubial said in 2016 that 90 to 99 percent of drug surrenderees are mostly casual or experimental users who will be included in community-based programs managed by barangay officials and social workers.

DOH-Disease Prevention and Control Director III Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy defended the mega-rehab center on 24 Oras and said it could be used for other purposes should the facility not reach maximum capacity.

"Not really a miscalculation but rather na-project na ganun karami talaga ang gumagamit," Suy said. "Maaring part of it we can convert to facility hospital maaring pwedeng paggamitan nito." —Rie Takumi/NB, GMA News

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