Punjab health minister Dr. Balbir Singh on Monday said that the continuous rise in admissions at the state government run de-addiction and rehabilitation centres is an indicator of the growing public faith in the state’s treatment infrastructure as part of the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign.
Dr. Balbir Singh (HT File)
The state-run de-addiction centres witnessed a rise in admissions from 9,577 in 2024 to 25,290 in 2025, an increase of more than 164% and the trend continued into 2026, with over 14,000 people being admitted to government de-addiction centres by July, informed the minister.
Notably, this rise in the number of admissions is a result of the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign that began in March 2025. He termed the trend as indicative of state government efforts to check drug addiction.
Dr. Singh further informed that admissions in rehabilitation centres increased from 2,644 in 2024 to 8,574 in 2025 — an increase of more than 224%. By July 2026, over 5,800 people had already been admitted, accounting for nearly 68% of the total admissions recorded during 2025.
The expanding reach of treatment is also visible through Punjab’s outpatient opioid-assisted treatment (OOAT) clinic network. New registrations increased from 13,033 in 2024 to 17,702 in 2025, while over 12,500 new patients have registered by August this year.
