Last Updated: 10 October 2026

Admissions to govt de-addiction & rehab centres up 170%: ~12,200 (2024) to ~34,000 (2025); 14,000+ and 5,800+ more in 2026 till July^[1]
-- Sept 2026: 547 OOAT clinics, 219 de-addiction centres, 91 rehabilitation centres^[2]
-- 90,000+ drug victims brought into treatment under Yudh Nashian Virudh (Mar 2025 – May 2026)^[3]

Aug 2025: One Stop Integrated Program for Women who use Drugs launched in Kapurthala and Amritsar (phase 1) under Yudh Nashian Virudh^[4]

IMPACT 2022-2024^[5]

-- ~10 lakh patients have undergone treatment
-- 97,413 addicts were admitted in Deaddiction and Rehabilitation Centers as of 11 Jan 2025

INFRA Upgrades:

1> Outpatient Drug Clinics: 2.74x Rise to Total 565 in 2025 under AAP Government

2> Deaddiction centers: 214% Rise in to Total 303 in 2024 under AAP Government
-- Number of beds increased from 1,500 to 5,000 in government de-addiction
-- Counsellors and psychiatrists are being recuited

3> Biometric based Centralised system To Stop Misuse of Drug substitute Medicine
-- Centralised platform manages & monitors patient/medicines^[6]
-- 1,100 biometric devices and 529 HD web camera bought for De-addiction & OOAT centers^[7]

¶ 1. Nasha Mukti Davai Kendras / OOAT clinics^[7:1]

^* OOAT = Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment

¶ 2. Deaddiction Centers/Nasha Mukti Kendras

• Admissions 2024 → 2025: de-addiction centres 9,577 → 25,290 (+164%); rehab centres 2,644 → 8,574 (+224%)^[1:1]

Number of beds increased from 1,500 to 5,000 in government managed de-addiction and rehabilitation centers^[8:1]

• including 91 Rehabilitation Centers(19 Govt + 72 Private)^[10:1]

Counsellors/psychiatrists

• 343 counsellors/psychiatrists are being recuited^[10:2]
• Private psychiatrists are being engaged for part-time services^[12]
  -- Psychiatrists will be paid ₹3,000 for 2 hours daily^[11:1]
• Private psychiatrists operating through OPDs would be permitted to dispense all approved medications for addiction treatment—including buprenorphine and naloxone— to their own patients^[13]

Modernisation & Upgrades^[10:3]

• Air-conditioners are being installed to make the stay of inhabitants more comfortable
• A uniform and balanced food menu has been prepared to provide nutritious and healthy meals to the patients at these centres
• 1 Crore from MPLAP fund for upgrades^[14]

Skill training and Yoga

• Skill training is being integrated into 19 government rehabilitation centers, in partnership with Sun foundation^[14:1]
• Introduced Yoga & Meditation in deaddiction & rehabilitation centres^[15]

Collab with Private^[12:1]

• To increase bed capacity, the state will collaborate with private nursing institutions, nursing colleges, and NGOs
• These centres will be reimbursed for infrastructure upgrades up to Rs 20,000 per bed — as a one-time grant
• They can claim up to Rs 1,500 per bed per day based on actual occupany

¶ 3. Biometric Patient monitoring and Systemic Reforms^[7:4]

Mis-use of buprenorphine: Pilferage of the substitute medicine is suspected

Centralised platform to manage & monitor patient and medicines^[6:1]

• Patients are administered the combination of buprenorphine — the substitute medicine given for the opioid use disorder
• To keep a check and ensure it is only administered to registered patients

Biometric Patient Tracking

• The patient will have to mark attendance twice
  • at points of marking their entry to the centre at the time of registration
  • at the dispensation point where buprenorphine will be administered to them

¶ 4. NEW Initiatives for De-addiction & Rehabilation

• Oct 2026: routine HIV, Hepatitis B and C screening being added (see section 5)^[16]
• Aug 2026, Community Bridge Model: 90-day structured recovery that continues at home after discharge, with tele-counselling and family involvement^[17]
• Jul 2026, Methadone Maintenance Therapy: 6 clinics (GMC Faridkot, Civil Hospital Ludhiana, GMC Patiala, district hospitals Gurdaspur, Mohali, Jalandhar), 6 more planned; supervised daily doses with counselling^[18]
• Formulating a New Mental health policy to facilitate proper De-addiction & rehabilation^[15:1]
  • Done: Punjab State Mental Health Policy unveiled on 10 Oct 2025; mental health services integrated into primary healthcare, with focus on women & vulnerable groups^[19]
  • Leadership in Mental Health Programme (with TISS Mumbai): India's 1st fellowship on substance abuse; 13 fellows working across Punjab, 2nd cohort of 17 in Aug 2026^[20]
  • Aug 2026: State Mental Health Authority revamped with patients, caregivers, psychiatrists & NGOs represented; district Mental Health Review Boards^[21]
• Further, a Tele Manas Hub is being established at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH)^[22]

¶ 5. HIV and Hepatitis screening at de-addiction centres^[16:1]

3 Oct 2026: Punjab to introduce routine screening for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C at government de-addiction and rehabilitation facilities under Yudh Nashian Virudh^[16:2]

• Earlier, screening was done through periodic camps (about every two months), so people who missed a camp had no follow-up
• Now testing is linked directly to de-addiction and rehabilitation services, with referral of those testing positive for further investigation, treatment and care
• Roll-out has already begun in private facilities; government centres are to adopt it shortly
• Why it matters: people with a history of injecting drug use face a higher risk of blood-borne infections
• Testing for HIV, Hepatitis B and C is already free at all Aam Aadmi Clinics

References:

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1. https://yespunjab.com/punjab-govt-de-addiction-centre-admissions-rise-164-in-one-year-dr-balbir-singh/ (Punjab Govt Press Release, 7 Sept 2026) ↩︎ ↩︎

2. https://yespunjab.com/punjabs-big-5-anti-drug-strategy-from-police-action-and-village-vigilance-to-prevention-and-rehabilitation/ (Punjab Govt Press Release) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

3. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=222454 (Punjab Govt Press Release) ↩︎

4. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=209640 (Punjab Govt Press Release, 25 Aug 2025) ↩︎

5. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/whats-the-new-phase-of-anti-drug-drive/ ↩︎

6. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/punjab-to-roll-out-centralised-system-for-monitoring-drug-de-addiction-treatment/articleshow/116692154.cms ↩︎ ↩︎

7. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/de-addiction-patients-biometric-attendance-9474195/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

8. https://yespunjab.com/aap-govt-intensifies-fight-against-drugs-rehab-support-grows-for-youth-and-families/ ↩︎ ↩︎

9. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/policy-to-battle-drug-menace-in-punjab-in-works-rehab-priority/ ↩︎

10. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/whats-the-new-phase-of-anti-drug-drive/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

11. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/yudh-nashian-virudh-punjab-to-recruit-docs-rope-in-pvt-facilities-for-rehab-cheema-101749496467387.html ↩︎ ↩︎

12. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/punjab-taps-private-sector-to-bolster-de-addiction-efforts-amid-rising-demand/articleshow/120802189.cms ↩︎ ↩︎

13. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/121524142.cms ↩︎

14. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/120802850.cms ↩︎ ↩︎

15. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/punjab-drug-crisis-awareness-crackdown-how-aap-govt-is-pushing-its-twin-track-campaign-9078268/ ↩︎ ↩︎

16. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=227693 (Punjab Govt Press Release, 3 Oct 2026) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

17. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=224746 (Punjab Govt Press Release, 2 Aug 2026) ↩︎

18. https://aninews.in/news/national/general-news/punjab-govt-introduces-methadone-maintenance-therapy-to-strengthen-fight-against-drug-addiction20260720184039/ (ANI, 20 Jul 2026) ↩︎

19. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=211969 (Punjab Govt Press Release, 10 Oct 2025) ↩︎

20. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=224634 (Punjab Govt Press Release, 31 July 2026) ↩︎

21. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=225306 (Punjab Govt Press Release, Aug 2026) ↩︎

22. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U5IjoJJx1PsupDLWapEUsQxo_A3TBQXX/view (Page 15) ↩︎