PESHAWAR: The district administration here on Saturday shut down seven private drug rehabilitation centres as part of a wider crackdown following reports of violence against patients and deaths at rehabilitation facilities.
The latest closures have taken the number of private drug rehabilitation centres shut down across the province to more than 14, according to officials. The authorities have stepped up monitoring of private rehabilitation facilities after a series of reported incidents involving alleged mistreatment of patients and deaths.
The government has also begun work on legislation to bring private drug rehabilitation centres under a proper legal and regulatory framework. More than 50 private drug rehabilitation centres are operating across the province, with Peshawar having the highest numbers of such facilities.
The monitoring drive has been intensified amid growing concerns over the treatment and safety of drug-dependent patients at private centres. Authorities are now reviewing the facilities to ensure that they meet required standards and operate within the law.
Meanwhile, the Social Welfare Department has also suspended its rehabilitation programme for drug-dependent people, according to media reports. The authorities are expected to continue inspections of private rehabilitation centres as efforts are made to strengthen oversight and prevent abuse and deaths at such facilities.
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