37 addicts admitted to 10,000-bed mega rehab center on opening day

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday led the inauguration of the 10,000-bed mega rehabilitation center inside Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said those who would need the most attention and treatment among the country's 780,000 drug addicts would be admitted at the huge rehabilitation facility.

Based on the Department of Health's (DOH) algorithm, about only one percent of the 780,000 recorded surenderees or 7,800 will need in-patient treatment.

"Estimate lang po lahat ito kasi ngayon lang talaga nangyari na ganito karami. So we're estimating one percent. Of 780,000, siguro 7,800 yung one percent," Ubial said.

Thirty seven severe users from Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, and Nueva Ecija were admitted on the day of the inauguration.

"At present, meron na tayong 5,000 in the 44 treatment and rehab centers. Ang dagdag na lang ng kailangan is 3,500. But we're also building new treatment and rehab centers across the country," Ubial said.

Tending to them are 800 personnel hired by the DOH in October.

Patients are inspected by trained physicians at local health centers for the level of treatment they will need.

Only one to two percent of surenderees are considered heavy and compulsive users who require in-patient treatments at rehabilitation centers.

Once patients arrive at the rehab center, they are brought to the interview room to be evaluated by social workers.

They are then given physical and dental examinations before undergoing a psychiatric evaluation.

Ubial said the therapeutic community model that will be used in the facility will take from six to 12 months.

Patients will observe a daily schedule that will immerse them in livelihood projects, spiritual development, values formation, and adult learning sessions.

"The concept of a treatment and rehab center is to make sure that the patients are removed from the communities so they do not have access to illegal drugs and to have them get used to a daily routine na araw-araw, busy sila, may ginagawa sila," Ubial said.

Visitations from family members will be allowed. —NB, GMA News