A one of its kind dedicated programme for de-addiction in a multi-specialty hospital set up

Bangalore: To combat the growing incidence of substance use disorder in the state and to provide comprehensive care to the patients in a multi-specialty setup, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road launched a dedicated programme for de-addiction today. A one of its kind de-addiction programme aims to treat substance use disorder through a multidisciplinary approach. The programme was launched by Shri Harish Pandey- DCP-South Bangalore in the presence of Mr Ashish Bhatia-COO-Fortis Healthcare, Dr. Samir Parikh-Director-Department of Mental Health & Behavioral Sciences, and Dr. Manish Mattoo-Zonal Director-Fortis Hospitals, Bangalore.

The De-addiction programme will focus on detoxification, managing withdrawal, maintaining abstinence, and endeavor to bring the whole body back to good health. The programme will offer treatment through In-patient management at the hospital with daily psychiatry and clinical psychology consultations, Comprehensive diagnostic psychological evaluations, Screening with psychiatric rating scales, Medication-assisted detoxifications, Individualized psychotherapy sessions, Family and group therapy sessions, Medical management of comorbid physical conditions, Nutrition and yoga.

As per National Drug Treatment Centre, AIIMS (NDDTC), about 2.8% of Indians aged 10-75 years (31 million individuals) are current users of any cannabis product and about 0.66% (7.2 million individuals) are problem users and 0.25% (2.5 million individuals) are dependent users.

In the year 2020, there has been 4,066 cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), leading to seizure worth more than Rs 50 crore and the arrest of 5,291 people across the state as per Karnataka Home Minister, Shri Basavaraj Bommai. Also, a study by International Journal of Contemporary Medical Research (IJCMR) states that the prevalence of cannabis use is found in Chandigarh (29.33%), followed by Punjab (12.39%), Bangalore / Karnataka (2.90%), Lucknow / Uttar Pradesh (1.20%) and Gujarat (1%).

Shri Harish Pandey, IPS, DCP-South Bangalore, said, “We are uncovering a widespread prevalence of drug abuse among the young population in the city. Although, we are working hard to the cut the chain of demand and supply of drugs in the city, eradication is only possible with tough measures at enforcement and judicial levels. At the same time de-addiction is also important as every person made free of drug abuse is an ambassador against the menace of drugs. Therefore, I am glad to be part of this launch event of Fortis De-addiction programme and hope this programme will add value to our initiative of “war against drugs” and we would be able to make this city free from substance abuse.

Mr Ashish Bhatia, COO, Fortis Healthcare, said, “With the rise in mental health cases during covid pandemic and with the lack of specialised centers, having a dedicated institute for treating the disease is the need of the hour. We are happy to launch this programme which will provide the citizens of this state and the country access to mental health experts and a world class treatment option all under one roof.

This is our first specialized programme in Bangalore which adheres to our commitment of offering high quality clinical care with focus on outcome of care for our patients. We hope this programme will help in improving the lives of as many patients as possible.”

Dr. Manish Mattoo, Zonal Director – Fortis Hospitals, Bangalore said, “Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road is one among the very few hospitals to offer a dedicated de addiction programme for patients in a multi-specialty hospital set up. Over the years, we have realized that every disease requires highly specialized care combined with a multi-disciplinary set up to manage the disease better. As part of the programme, we are offering a one-week detoxification program and a two-week Detoxification with relapse prevention program to help people make a comeback. The programme is backed by our mental health experts along with specialist doctors. It will have a group of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, yoga therapists, nutritionists, a 24*7 stress helpline number and a physician or a disease specialist intervention whenever required in order to help the patients tackle the disease better.”

Samir Parikh, Director, Fortis National Mental Health Program, Fortis Healthcare, said, “Substance abuse needs to be given importance by all stakeholders in society. A comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach is integral to the prevention and treatment of addictive disorders. The De-Addiction program at Fortis Hospital Bannerghatta Road is an important step in this direction.” 

Dr. Venkatesh Babu, Consultant – Psychiatrist, Fortis Hospitals, Bangalore, said “Covid-19 has taken a toll on the mental health which has resulted into a growing dependence on substance use during the pandemic. People with Substance Use disorder may be aware of their problems but find it difficult to stop even if they want to. These dependent behaviours may lead to physical and psychological problems as well as interpersonal conflicts at home and workplace, thus a de addiction program is crucial to help these dependents make a comeback in life. At this center, we offer an all-inclusive team approach where an individual undergoes detoxification in a controlled hospital setting to prevent withdrawal complications along with management of comorbid medical, psychiatric and psychosocial problems.”

An observation at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road indicates that there has been an increased number of patients with alcohol use disorder during the pandemic which has resulted in liver, Urology, Oncology and Cardiac cases. After alcohol, Cannabis and Opioids are the next commonly used substances in India.