Fatimah (right) during her visit to the OSCA at Petra Jaya Health Clinic, accompanied by the clinic head Dr Maziah Ishak.
KUCHING: Individuals who are addicted to substances can now receive treatment and rehabilitation voluntarily through the One-Stop Centre for Addiction (OSCA) which is operated by the state Health Department, said Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
She said 111 clients have thus far received treatment through OSCA, with 110 of them treated at Tudan Health Clinic in Miri and one at Petra Jaya Health Clinic here.
“I am confident that the number of clients at OSCA Petra Jaya Health Clinic will increase with the collaboration between the One-Stop Committee for Addressing the Issues of Drugs and Substance (OCS MIDS) Sarawak and OSC MIDS Kuching District,” she said during a visit to OSCA Petra Jaya Health Clinic yesterday.
OSCA is a one-stop service centre for voluntary treatment and rehabilitation in the community administered by the Health Department for individuals addicted to substances and drugs.
The OSCA at Petra Jaya Health Clinic is the second such facility in the state after the one in Tudan.
Fatimah said as a result of arrests by enforcement agencies and through outreach programmes, those identified as addicts need to be treated and rehabilitated to enable them to function normally in the mainstream society.
“For arrested addicts, they can be ordered by the court to undergo rehabilitation in institutions such as the Narcotic Addiction Rehabilitation Centres (Puspen) in Puncak Borneo under the charge of the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK).
“Addicts are also given the opportunity to undergo voluntary treatment and recovery at the Cure and Care Centre (CNC) operated by AADK as well,” she said.
She added that as of Feb 28, there were 124 clients at Puspen while 19 have received treatment at the CNC in Puncak Borneo.
“Voluntary treatment and rehabilitation in the community was also given to 1,922 people who were placed under AADK supervision, as of Feb 28.”
Fatimah noted that there are also non-governmental organisations (NGO) in Sarawak that provide rehabilitation centres in their communities such as in Miri, Sibu and Kuching.
She informed that as of Feb 28, a total of 87 persons are receiving treatment through these NGO-run centres.
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