SHANGHAI:
The city's first private voluntary rehabilitation center for drug
addicts opened yesterday. Both Western medicine and traditional
Chinese medicine are used to help addicts get rid of their
addiction.
The Daying Voluntary Rehabilitation Center, which occupies a
1.73-hectare site within a resort area in Qingpu District, was
built with the first batch of investment of 1 million yuan
(US$120,000). It can hospitalize 50 people.
"Six people have come to the center for abstinence and recovery,"
said Qian Yixian, director of the medical treatment department of
the center.
Before the inauguration of the center, Shanghai had three
facilities run by the local government to help addicts abstain, one
voluntary and the other two mandatory institutions.
In
recent years, the number of drug addicts has increased sharply.
Shanghai official sources said the city had about 12,000 drug
addicts in 2000, up 40 per cent from the previous year.
"The preparation work for the center began three years ago," Qian
said, "because at that time, we had found that drug-taking had
gradually increased, and many drug abusers want to find a place for
abstinence."
The establishment of voluntary rehabilitation centers for addicts
has already become a universal practice in other countries. As
opposed to mandatory centers, drug addicts are given more freedom
in the voluntary centers.
"They can make their own decisions about coming or leaving and no
one will force them to do anything," he said. Although they take
drugs, they are considered patients in the center, and are treated
equally by staff members as long as they co-operate with the
doctors.
A
maximum of three people share one room. Those seeking recovery must
first undergo a detoxification period lasting anywhere from 10 days
to 15 days to help with drug withdrawal. Then comes to the recovery
phase, which lasts several months or longer, depending on the
patients' decision.
Charges range from 3,000 yuan (US$361) to 5,000 (US$602) for the
first fortnight and about 3,600 yuan (US$434) per month on average
during the recovery period, Qian said.
Both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine are used to
treat patients at the center and acupuncture is offered for further
recovery. Moreover, music is introduced as a therapeutic treatment.
The music cure lasts an hour, and patients are allowed to dance and
sing along with the music, said Qian.
The center was designed with the capacity to hospitalize 200 drug
addicts and further investment will focus on completing auxiliary
functions and services.
"More facilities for exercises will be added," he said. As the
location is close to some tourist destinations, trips away from the
center will also be organized.
(
China
Daily October 30, 2001)