During a surprise visit at Modern Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre (MATRC), Afridi met with over 36 addicts being rehabilitated at the MATRC run by Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Regional Directorate, says a press release issued here on Thursday.
The minister held a detailed session with the drug addicts being treated at the facility and inquired about the facilities being provided to them. He expressed his satisfaction over the facilities and rehabilitation process being adopted to help transform the drug addicts into productive citizens.
Brigadier Sijeel Haider, Director, International Coordination, ANF Headquarters, Islamabad, briefed the minister over the affairs of the MATRC. Brig Sijeel said that 17,000 patients had been treated at the rehab centre which housed 36 beds. The minister was informed that no staff had been hired yet and volunteers are operating the hospital.
He said that free treatment was being accorded to the drug addicts. He said the Narcotics Control Ministry approved the construction of new building for rehabilitation centre and PC-I had been approved worth Rs 245 million. He said the federal government had approved Rs 50 million grant for MATRC construction, out of which Rs 50 million had been allocated for the current fiscal.
He said that 55,400 patients had been treated at the ANF rehabilitation centres since year 2005. He said that over 25,000 addicts from the twin cities had applied for registration at the rehabilitation centre but the facility only allowed 36 patients to be admitted.-PR