Patiala News:Bhagwant Mann government’s zero tolerance policy against drugs-Dr. Balbir Singh
Patiala News:Bhagwant Mann government’s zero tolerance policy against drugs-Dr. Balbir Singh
-Said, life-saving medicines for patients will not be allowed to be misused for drugs
-Health Minister holds meeting with Patiala administration and police to review war on drugs
– Monitoring of 35 hot spot areas identified for drugs in the district, including drug shops, is also underway – Health Minister
Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh has said that the Punjab government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is working on a zero tolerance policy against drugs. The Health Minister today held an important meeting with Patiala Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Agarwal, SSP Harmandeep Hans, Civil Surgeon Dr. Shelly Jaitley and Zonal Drug Licensing Authority Navjot Kaur, among other officials, to review the war on drugs campaign.
Dr. Balbir Singh clearly said that misuse of important medicines for saving the lives of patients will not be allowed at any cost, but not all of the about 32 thousand wholesale and retail chemist shops operating in the state can be viewed with suspicion. He said that for this, monitoring of drug shops including 35 hot spot areas identified for drugs in Patiala district is being done so that the dealers involved in the black business of drugs can be nabbed.
The Health Minister said that Chitta and other synthetic drugs are not manufactured in Punjab but come here from Pakistan or other states, on which the Punjab government, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has repeatedly raised its voice with the Central Government and the concerned agencies to tighten the noose. He instructed the district administration to conduct special checking around schools, colleges and other educational institutions so that no one sells drugs at these places.
Dr. Balbir Singh directed the Zonal Licensing Authority to ensure checking with the help of the police so that no drug seller sells life-saving medicines to anyone without a license and without a doctor’s prescription. He said that although drug sellers work with great service, if anyone is found involved in such black business, strict action should be taken against him.
The Cabinet Minister also appealed to the people of Punjab that if they get any information about any element selling drugs from a medicine vendor or any other person, then they should take action themselves and not take the law into their own hands, but rather inform the police, drug licensing or civil surgeon’s office, as well as the Safe Punjab Anti-Drug WhatsApp chatbot number 97791-00200 and the name and address of the informant will be kept confidential.
Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Agarwal and SSP Harmandeep Hans and other officers assured that the war against drugs in the district will be made successful as per the instructions of the Punjab Government and the guidelines of the Health Minister. ADCs Damanjit Singh Mann and Anuprita Johal, SP City Mohit Agarwal, Deputy Medical Commissioner Dr. Jaswinder Singh and Drug Inspectors and other officers were also present at the meeting.