2024-04-30 02:27:31
Although the number of women taking drugs in the country has increased alarmingly, they are lagging behind in getting treatment. But, drugs affect women more than men. Ahshaniya Mission Women’s Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Center was established in April 2014 to treat female drug addicts. Since its inception, the institution has been successfully providing medical services to women with drug addiction and mental problems for 10 years.
This information was given at a press conference at the Dhaka Ahsaniya Mission Health Sector office in Shyamoli of the capital on Monday (April 29) at 11 am.
Councilor Jannatul Ferdous Majumdar presented the main report at the press conference under the chairmanship of Iqbal Masood, director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Health and Wash Sector. According to the report, 762 women received medical services since 2014. Among them are 39 percent yaba users, 39 percent marijuana users, intravenous drug users and other drug users, including multiple drug users. Among mental illnesses, schizophrenia accounted for 35 percent, mood disorders 26 percent, bipolar 12 percent, depression 10 percent, and OCD 6 percent. The rest were suffering from other mental illnesses.
Of the 762 women, 463 were treated for drug-related problems and 299 for psychological problems. Data analysis showed that 70 percent of the 762 patients completed treatment. 22 percent left without completing the term and 4 percent patients were referred for various reasons. At present 4 percent patients are under treatment in the medical center.
In the president’s speech, Iqbal Masud said that the treatment process of female drug addicts is quite complicated and time-consuming compared to men. Special attention should be given to the treatment and prevention of increasing number of female drug addicts. In this regard, parents and policy makers have to play a special role.
The center manager Farzana Ferdous gave a welcome speech moderated by senior psychologist Rakhi Ganguly in the press conference.
It is to be noted that on April 12, 2014, the then State Minister for Home Affairs, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal MP, inaugurated the Ahsania Mission Women’s Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Center. In 2023, the institution won an award from the Narcotics Control Directorate as the best treatment center in the country.