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Call to set up rehab centres for drug addicts in Fujairah

Doctors and pharmacists say they are regularly approached by addicts who ask for painkillers or narcotics-based medicines that may pose health hazards to them. In some cases, addicts also resort to threatening to procure the medicines.

A pharmacist said that Morphine, Zanax and Valium are most in demand. He added that the Ministry of Health has issued a resolution banning arbitrary distribution of these medicines among people, except for in-patients.

Obeid Al Khadem, Director of the Fujairah Hospital, underscored the need for an immediate solution to the problem. “The ideal solution is establishing specialised centres for treating such cases,” he said.

He explained that his hospital receives such cases that are at early stages of addiction and prescribes the initial treatment before referring them to specialised hospitals in other emirates.

Echoing Khadem, Khalfan Ali Khalfan, Director of the Dibba Hospital, said, “Indeed, we are in desperate need of a centre for curing addicts in Fujairah.” He added that such cases are usually referred to the Sharjah rehabilitation centre.

He also urged parents to cooperate with the health authorities and not conceal any information about addicts that may help in treating them effectively.

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