KABUL (SW) – Thousands of drug addicts are receiving professional training in rehabilitation centers throughout Afghanistan, say officials.
Held a program on Sunday, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs distributed graduation certificates to 509 individuals who have completed drug addiction treatment and trained in technical and professional fields.
“We have 52 addiction treatment centers that 20,000 addicts are currently learning the technical skills in,” said Mohammad Zahid, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.
Considering drug addiction as a serious issue, the ministry’s officials urge the International Community and donor institutions to support the de-facto government in treating drug addicts and providing them with training opportunities.
Din Mohammad Haqparast, Deputy Minister of Finance and Administration of the MoLSA, says: “The external organizations must pay serious attention to the centers that work in professional training. There are 110 centers in the country, of which 50 centers are supported by the Islamic Emirate, and the rest by other organizations.”
On the other hand, some drug addicts who have passed the addiction recovery period complain about the lack of access to better health services and convenient equipment in the health and educational centers.
Abdul Hakim, who was brought to a drug addiction treatment center eight months ago after 20 years of drug addiction and has now learned to sew, says: “There is no clean bathroom and clothes.”
The family members of drug addicts ask the de-facto government of the Islamic Emirate to eliminate the source of drug production and its sales in order to prevent the addiction of the youth.
Ghulam, a resident of Kabul city, whose son became addicted to drugs eight years ago, says that his son was treated several times, but easy access to drug has made him turn to addiction again. “There was no clinic left that I did not take my son to; my son was treated for one or two months in each clinic, but when he leaves the clinic, there are drug addicts and drugs outside, so he turns back to drug addiction.”
According to the statistics provided, there are four million drug addicts throughout Afghanistan.
