Saturday 19 December 2015

Drug Centre to be opened in Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital

The Gauteng Department of Social Development will officially open a centre for rehabilitation of drugs and alcohol abuse on Friday.

The centre is situated at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto and is the first initiative of its kind. The centre is available to those 18 years and older and is for those who cannot afford the more expensive rehabilitation centres.

The MEC of Gauteng Department of Social Department, Faith Mazibuko speaking on Morning Live, says the centre is the first of its kind because the department never saw it as a priority until the outcry in Eldorado Park, where the department saw the real ravages of drug abuse.

She says the department has a lot of other programmes to discourage young people from taking drugs and various communities have local drug action committees that do awareness campaigns and involve parents and communities in assisting to spread awareness.

The centre will offer detoxification programmes that will ensure young people learn life skills, psychosocial support therapy and  allow parents to be involved so that rehabilitation can be successful.

The Department plans to open rehabilitation centres in other areas and also plans to open half-way houses to support people once they have left the rehabilitation centres..


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