CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (TRC) of the Department of Health region 10 (DOH-10) in upper Barangay Puerto in this city is almost fully occupied as the facility resumed accepting clients who need to undergo treatment because of illegal drug addiction.
Currently, the 200-bed capacity DOH-TRC in Cagayan de Oro has 90 residential male clients who have been diagnosed with severe substance use disorder, said Erwin Rommel Lingad, DOH-TRC 10 health education promotion officer-designate, in a phone interview on Friday, Nov. 25.
Lingad considered the facility as almost fully occupied with the said figure as the DOH region 10 still implemented the 50 percent capacity requirement of the said facility.
Apart from the 90 residential clients in the said facility, the DOH-TRC also caters more or less 200 outpatient clients - composed of male and female individuals who have been diagnosed with moderate substance use disorder.
It can be recalled that the DOH-TRC in Cagayan de Oro hadn’t accepted clients in 2020 and 2021 because of the restrictions implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lingad said they are currently catering a lot of clients as many persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) have availed the plea bargaining agreements, which the mandatory drug rehabilitation program is part of.
Aside from the TRC in Cagayan de Oro, there is also DOH-TRC in the region situated in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon with a 500-bed capacity.
According to the protocol, PDLs who have low and moderate risk assessment after the screening will be returned to the community for the community-based rehabilitation program (CBRP) in their respective local government units (LGUs).
However, for PDLs who have high risk assessment after the screening, they will be referred to a DOH-accredited physician who will provide diagnosis either mild, moderate or severe.
The PDLs who will be diagnosed with mild substance use disorder will still be returned to the community but with more intensified CBRP. For PDLs with moderate cases, they will be made as outpatient clients to the DOH-TRC, and the severe cases will be placed as residential clients in the facility.
The DOH has doubled its effort to increase the public awareness on the harmful effects of psychoactive substances that are commonly abused in the country and to encourage public support on the various drug demand reduction activities and programs of the government.
Pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 124, dated Nov. 26, 2001, the third week of November has been declared as Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Week to promote public awareness against the evil effects of illegal drug use as well as encourage public cooperation in the anti-drug campaign.