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By Ben Serrano,
Correspondent

BUTUAN City — The provincial government of Agusan del Sur headed by Governor Adolph Edward Plaza will build its own drug rehabilitation centers, the first among local governments in Caraga Region.

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The centers will be built under the province’s Substance Use Recovery and Enlightenment (Sure) and will be free of charge for Agusan del Sur constituents only.

Initially, one out-patient drop-in center (Odic) will be built at the huge Agusan del Sur provincial government complex which has capacity of 50 persons per batch while an initial 50-capacity bed Residential Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (RTRC) will be built inside the Army’s 401st Brigade Camp at New Leyte, Barangay Awa, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, provincial board member Santiago Cane, Jr. said.

It will have its own staff, psychiatrists, doctors, spiritual advisers and counselors and the equipment and facilities including staffing patterns all follow the Department of Health (DOH) regulations.

During a special session on Sept. 14, the 15th Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed the ordinance titled: “Institutionalizing the Substance Use Recovery and Enlightenment (Sure) Program.” The ordinance aims to service persons with substance use disorder (drug dependence) and appropriating funds for its operations.

According to Cane, the Sure program, a concept of Gov. Plaza has three major components: Information and Education Campaign Center (IECC); The Out-patient Drop-In Center (ODIC); and The Residential Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (RTRC).

The IECC is for awareness on the crippling effects of dangerous drugs, a yearound campaign at all levels of the local government and all levels of schools in the province.

The ODIC is for those slightly affected who need psychiatric counselling to kick off the habit for good.

The RTRC is for those severely affected and will have to be admitted into the center for several months until they fully recover.

“This program can be availed by bonafide residents of Agusan del Sur free of fees and charges. However, if a patient relapses and gets admitted for the second time, the patient has to pay half of the total cost for rehabilitation. For the third and succeeding admissions, the patient pays the full cost of rehabilitation,” Cane said.

 

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