Centre to train 10,000 healthcare workers in drug de-addiction by 2029 | India News
NEW DELHI: With the Centre targeting a drug-free India by 2029, the health ministry has launched a nationwide capacity-building programme to train 10,000 healthcare professionals in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders, including addiction to alcohol, opioids and other drugs.Union health minister J P Nadda launched the programme on Monday under the Vision Document on Narcotic Control 2026-2029, stressing that tackling substance abuse requires coordinated action by healthcare, social welfare and law enforcement agencies. The ministry aims to train 2,000 personnel in the current financial year, followed by 3,000 in 2027-28 and 5,000 in 2028-29.The programme will be implemented through six central government institutions under the Drug De-addiction Programme, with the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS, serving as the coordinating centre. The other institutions are NIMHANS, Bengaluru; PGIMER, Chandigarh; Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi; Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi; and AIIMS Bhubaneswar.The training will combine live online sessions, self-paced courses and in-person programmes. Doctors and medical officers will undergo a 12-week online training course featuring lectures and clinical case discussions, while nurses, community health officers, auxiliary nurse midwives, counsellors and psychologists will have access to specialised modules. The curriculum will cover substances ranging from alcohol and cannabis to opioids, sleeping tablets and inhalants, as well as addiction among vulnerable groups, including women and adolescents.More than 800 nominations have already been received through the health ministry and the National Health Mission for online and offline training. Around 150 personnel from de-addiction centres supported by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment are also expected to undergo in-person training over the next two months.Nadda said fragmented efforts among government departments had created gaps in coordination and service delivery. Effective implementation of the narcotic control strategy, he said, would require clearly defined responsibilities, sustained inter-ministerial coordination and collective accountability. He also stressed the need to strengthen de-addiction centres through training, institutional support and adequate resources.
Share your thoughts in the comments
Be respectful · TOI community guidelines
At the launch, Nadda released the second edition of Substance Use Disorder: Manual for Physicians (Management of Addictive Disorders). First published in 2005, the revised manual incorporates advances in the understanding and treatment of addiction and is intended to help doctors manage substance use disorders in both specialised facilities and general healthcare settings.The initiative follows the Vision Document on Narcotic Control unveiled by Union home minister Amit Shah in June 2026. Besides enforcement against drug trafficking, the strategy assigns the health ministry the task of expanding access to evidence-based addiction treatment by strengthening the skills of medical and allied healthcare personnel.Officials said the programme would draw on the clinical expertise and training infrastructure of the six institutions to improve the availability and quality of addiction care across states and Union territories.
Source link
