(Eagle News) — The Philippine government sees the illegal drug problem as a health concern, stressed the Department of Health, as government agencies released the “real numbers” on the illegal drug situation on Tuesday, May 2.
During Tuesday’s #Real Numbers Forum in Pasig City, government officials released data that showed that there are more than 1.2 million drug users who have surrendered to government because of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on illegal drugs. Of this number of surrenderers, close to 89,000 of them are drug pushers.
“The (DOH) considers drug abuse and drug dependence as a mental health concern,” Ubial stressed in the forum which is meant to counter the negative publicity generated by wrong information presented by the media and the drug war critics.
“So let me give you the real numbers for the Philippine health data on drug abuse treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration,” she said.
In the #RealNumbersPH forum, Health Secretary Ubial said that there are currently 48 treatment and rehabilitation centers that are accredited by the government, and more are to be constructed in the next few months. These would be able to provide service to thousands of patients.
Of the 48 centers, 17 are owned by the government, while 31 are private institutions. Eight more rehabilitation and treatment centers are to be put up soon with the help of private institutions and by the government of China.
The DOH chief also stressed that the government has a program for all the 1.2 million drug surrenderers.
“We look at that spectrum of health services from preventive, promotive to curative which is detoxification lasting for two weeks or more, and rehabilitative lasting for 6 months up to 12 months,” Ubial said.
There is a community-based rehabilitation for those who are occasional drug users, Ubial said.
Those who are committed to drug treatment and rehabilitation centers are the ones who are hardened users, she said.
The drug rehab center which currently has the most number of patients is the Bicutan Rehab Center, with a thousand surrenderers being treated.
In Nueva Ecija, the mega rehab center which was opened on November 29 last year, has a total of 227 drug patients, she said.
This month, she said, the first graduation of those who have completed treatment at the mega treatment and rehab facility in Nueva Ecija would take place this month.
But the facility can accommodate up to 10,000 patients.
Ubial explained the “slow influx of patients.”
She said this was because there was a system which drug surrenderers have to undergo. First, they are checked if they are eligible as an outpatient. Only those who are hardened users are committed to institutions and facilities.
“We have a comprehensive program on the levels of prevention and addressing the mental health issues of this country, including drug dependence,” Ubial said.
He said that the most type of intervention which the DOH has done was to encourage the public “not to take the habit of drug use.”