Drug addicts being shifted to special facility from Kandahar jail

KANDAHAR (Pajhwok): Hundreds of drug addicts kept for treatment in the central prison of southern Kandahar province are being shifted to another special center.

Numbering around 1,200, the addicts face space shortage and health problems in Kandahar prison, but now they are being shifted to a special center in Inzargi area of ​​Takhta Pul district.

Provincial officials say problems the addicts face in the prison would be resolved with their transfer to the special center.

Maulvi Mohibullah Garmseri, Kandahar governor’s house chief of staff, said that the addicts were being shifted to another building as per order of supreme leader Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada. He said the individuals would be paid full attention in the new facility.

“They are being shifted to a well-equipped center where they will be paid full attention by all the organizations concerned because this is the order of Amirul Momineen.”

Kandahar prison director Nimatullah Seraji also said the departments concerned would be able now to provide better services to the addicts in the new facility.

He added the special center had been newly constructed and it was not in use at the moment. “The new structure is spacious and the addicts there will face no problem like lack of space and they will avail more facilities in health and other areas.”

Dr. Sayed Ahmad Shadab, deputy director of Kandahar Public Health Department, also said medical teams would be sent to the new center after the addicts were transferred there in order to continue their treatment.

He added the 100-bed hospital for drug addicts in Kandahar city had also increased its activity and drug addicts facing serious health problems were being treated in the hospital.

“Our health teams are ready to visit the new center and the seriously-ill addicts will be treated well in the 100-bed hospital.”

Some of the addicts said they had not yet seen the new center, but if they were provided with space, food and medicines there, they wanted nothing else.

Niaz Mohammad, a drug addict, said: “It would be better if the new building is spacious because in the prison we face space and food shortage. Our food should be increased and we should be given medicine.”

All addicts who used drugs in the open have recently been collected from the city and surrounding areas for treatment.

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