Chandigarh, May 8 -- Amid the efforts by the UT administration to curb substance abuse, the drug de-addiction and treatment centre in Government Multi Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, has been non-operational since 2020. The health department has cited the unavailability of a psychiatrist as the reason.

The centre, opened in 2009, was converted into a Covid-19 facility in 2020. Since then, the department has not been able to recruit a psychiatrist to run the 12-bed indoor residential treatment centre.

Notably, the Punjab governor and UT administrator had recently launched "Drug Free Chandigarh" campaign, and state-level events are being organised to spread the message.

Director of health services Dr Suman Singh said, "There is no psychia...