Hyderabad: To tackle substance abuse disorders, Telangana has established 35 Addiction Treatment Facility (ATF) centres, with services inaugurated at Gandhi Hospital on Saturday and simultaneously rolled out across all districts. The facilities offer integrated inpatient, outpatient, emergency and counselling services, along with specialised Substance Use Units (SSUs) for severe withdrawal cases.Screening is carried out using multi-drug test kits supplied by the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB), with confirmatory tests conducted when required. As of Saturday, samples from around 90 individuals had been tested over the past two days, with approximately 40 testing positive. Officials said these screenings are preliminary, and individuals will be sent back with the police after testing unless treatment is initiated through the due legal process.The ATF centres houses a Substance Intoxication Care Unit (SICU), which functions like an ICU setup. Patients presenting with severe withdrawal symptoms such as seizures, unconsciousness, or acute psychosis will be admitted here for emergency management under continuous monitoring. Dr K Anupama, in-charge HOD, psychiatry dept at Gandhi Hospital, said testing will be conducted using multi-drug urine kits capable of detecting up to 12 substances, including opioids, cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines.“These kits deliver results within minutes and are primarily used for initial screening. A positive result is indicated by the absence of a red line for a particular substance, while a visible red line indicates a negative result. However, as they may occasionally yield false positives, clinical history and further evaluation are essential,” she added. In police-related cases, the standard legal protocol will be followed. While suspects are brought in with Form A for testing, results would be recorded in Form B, and if positive, they would be produced before a magistrate. With consent (Form C), the individual’s admission for treatment will take place.Following discharge from the SICU, patients will be enrolled in the Drug Addiction Counselling Centres (DACC), where they will receive ongoing psychological support, medication and family counselling. These centres will play a crucial role in relapse prevention and long-term recovery by involving both patients and their families in the rehabilitation process. “Addiction is classified into stages—abuse, dependency and full addiction—and treatment is tailored accordingly. We will have a structured six-week rehabilitation programme. This includes counselling, family therapy, and group sessions like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous,” said Dr Venkat Subbaiah, clinical psychologist, Gandhi Hospital.Noting that drug abuse is increasing, especially among the youth, health minister Damodar Rajanarasimha said, “This should be seen as a health problem rather than a social problem. If treatment is provided at the right time, we can save ourselves from drug and narcotic addiction.” He added that the govt is also taking action against fake and substandard medicines. Meanwhile, the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Erragadda, will continue to serve as the nodal centre, with plans to collaborate with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru.
