Small number of Filipino drug users in rehab facilities: Ubial
Millions of drug users may have surrendered but only 12,000 are in rehabilitation facilities, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said on Monday.
At a press conference after signing a grant agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Ubial said out of the 44 drug rehab facilities nationwide, including the 14 run by the government, these are only the number of drug users who have sought rehabilitation.
Ubial said this includes the 179 patients in a big drug rehab facility in Nueva Ecija.
Ubial said majority of cases are being treated through community-based rehabilitation.
"We have identified only a few that needed residential or in-patient rehabilitation as majority or 99 percent are identified for out-patient or community-based rehabilitation," explained Ubial.
Ubial said the health department welcomes the ?1.85 billion or P826 million donation of JICA.
She said the financial grant of JICA would promote a multi-sectoral approach versus the drug menace.
"This grant will be used for infrastructure projects as well as technical assistance on the policies, trainings, and the capacity building of our healthworkers involved in drug rehabilitation," said Ubial.
According to JICA Chief Representative Susumu Ito, their Consolidated Rehabilitation on Illegal Drug Users (CARE) program seeks to help establish and enhance facilities and rehabilitation as well as treatment protocols of drug dependents in the Philippines.
"Through this development cooperation, we aim to help provide rehabilitation support for drug dependents so eventually they can integrate themselves back into society," said Ito. DMS
