DOH-7 to pilot drug recovery facility in Mandaue

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH) -7 has named Mandaue City as the pilot area for the setting up of the proposed recovery facility intended for rehabilitation and treatment of surrendering drug dependents.

DOH-7 Medical Officer Dr. Dino Caing said they are proposing to build this type of facility in every city and municipality in the region, but they have to do a pilot first before it will be introduced province-wide.

“We will set this up first in Mandaue and we will see,” said Caing on queries whether this will be replicated to other cities and municipalities. Caing is in charge of DOH-7’s Dangerous Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program.

He said the agency has offered the proposal to the three highly-urbanized cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue, adding that it was the Mandaue City government that was the first to signify willingness to initiate the project which will be undertaken in partnership with a non-government organization.

The funding for the construction of the facility will be donated by the non-government organization. The construction cost is pegged at P15-50 million, depending on the expanse of the property which has to be identified or acquired by the Mandaue City government.

Caing said DOH-7, for its part, will lay out the treatment plan and program and will supervise the accreditation of the facility.

He said the agency purposely prioritized urban areas for the pilot facility as the number of surrendering drug users is huge, but there is a lack of inpatient rehabilitation and treatment centers.

This is the reason why health authorities had adopted the community-based treatment and care services for recovering drug users.

Caing said that among the cities and municipalities in Cebu province, San Remigio is the first and only town so far that has successfully completed its implementation of the community-based rehabilitation program.

He said it is the only locality where all barangays participated in the program because of the efforts and the “strong political will” showed by the town mayor.

Part of the Duterte administration's health agenda is to put up one large-scale treatment and rehabilitation center in every region and to establish the community-based rehabilitation program in every local government unit. (FREEMAN)