Shillong, March 24: Dr. Sandy Syiem, founder of “Sanker,” a psychiatric care facility in Meghalaya, emphasized the urgent need for rehabilitation centers in every district of the state. Speaking to media representatives on Saturday, he highlighted the growing strain on existing facilities due to the increasing population and the rising prevalence of addiction.

“Addiction is a disease. Many people don’t understand that it is a pandemic. It has been here for hundreds of years. These new drugs are only different; the problem of addiction has always been there. The only thing is that we are tackling it in the wrong way,” Dr. Syiem stated. He compared the approach to addiction treatment to the medical community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing the need for a unified and medical-led strategy.

Dr. Syiem explained that addiction is a brain disease, not a sin or a crime. He noted that while many people consume alcohol or experiment with drugs, only a fraction become addicts due to their susceptibility to the disease. “The disease is exploding because the population is exploding. There are very few treatment centers, and there is a strain on the rehab centers. We need more rehab centers all across the state and the region.”

He also raised concerns about substandard rehabilitation centers run by unscrupulous individuals, which often lead to disastrous outcomes for patients. Dr. Syiem called for regulatory oversight, suggesting that the mental health authority should ensure proper standards across all centers in the region.

Dr. Syiem underscored the importance of recognizing addiction as a medical problem. “The saying ‘once an addict, always an addict’ holds true to a certain extent because the disease of addiction does not go away. Many people misunderstand that, and the medical community has washed its hands, saying it is a social problem.”

To address the issue, Dr. Syiem announced a training program for doctors from 11 primary health centers (PHCs) in Meghalaya and 5 PHCs in Arunachal Pradesh. The program aims to equip medical professionals with the skills to treat addiction and lead community efforts in addressing the problem.

Regarding the Government’s flagship Drug Reduction Elimination & Action Mission (DREAM) project, Dr. Syiem acknowledged it as a step in the right direction but reiterated the need for rehabilitation centers in all 60 constituencies of Meghalaya. “The numbers have swelled, trained people are fewer, and we have started a three-month part-time counseling program to train individuals as counselors in the field.”

Dr. Syiem concluded by emphasizing that the medical community must lead the treatment of addiction and that understanding it as a disease is crucial for progress.

Read: GSU renews call to declare Tura as Winter Capital of Meghalaya

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