Now Reading: Punjab supplied 43.44 crore buprenorphine tablets in 4.5 years
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Punjab supplied 43.44 crore buprenorphine tablets in 4.5 years
Punjab purchased about 43.44 crore buprenorphine tablets over the past four-and-a-half years for government opioid treatment clinics, a report tabled in the state Assembly said. The number of registered patients has risen…
The Story in Brief
Punjab purchased about 43.44 crore buprenorphine tablets over the past four-and-a-half years for government opioid treatment clinics, a report tabled in the state Assembly said. The number of registered patients has risen from nearly two lakh in 2022 to 3.17 lakh, with 13.55 crore monthly revisits recorded till June.
Prison use has also climbed sharply. Jail clinics registered 40,830 prisoners, while tablet supplies to prisons rose from 1.17 crore in 2022 to 8.87 crore this year. The state now has about 5,000 free treatment beds, up from earlier capacity, and monthly admissions have reached as high as 3,400. Officials acknowledged shortages of counselling and rehabilitation facilities. The committee also reported deaths linked to tablets being dissolved and injected.
The Indian Opinion
The easy claim that large tablet purchases prove treatment is being misused ignores the rise in patients seeking care. But treating supply figures as proof of success would be just as careless, especially when counselling and rehabilitation remain short. The real test is whether Punjab can track outcomes, prevent injection-related deaths and reduce repeat dependence. It should publish recovery and relapse figures alongside every future procurement total.
Source: newindianexpress.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
