1MALAYSIA CURE & CARE CLINICS RECEIVE INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 8 (Bernama) -- The 1Malaysia Cure and Care Clinics for drug
addiction treatment and rehabilitation which use a new approach, have received
recognition from various international organisations.

National Anti-Drug Agency director-general Zuraidah Mohamed said the
organisations included the World Health Organisation (WHO), Joint United
Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC).

"They regard the open concept used by the clinics as the best approach and
have urged other countries to follow Malaysia's method. Besides, we often
receive foreign visitors who come to look at our operations at the clinics," she
told reporters, here, Friday.

The 1Malaysia Cure and Care Clinics replace the Narcotics Addiction
Rehabilitation Centres (Puspen). While practising the open concept, the clinics
function as treatment hubs and referrence centres.

Unlike Puspen, addicts and their family members can come to the clinics any
time to get treatment and counselling from medical specialists and psychiatrists
without having to go through the legal procedure.

Zuraidah said currently, there were six such clinics in the country, with
1,897 people benefiting from the service up to Dec 30, last year.

She said four more clinics would open in Pahang and Terengganu, both east
coast states in Peninsular Malaysia.

Zuraidah said this year too, the agency would conduct courses and training
for 101,062 volunteers registered with the agency in a more systematic manner to
ensure they could carry out their tasks more effectively.

From January to June last year, 12,079 drug addicts were recorded
nationwide, with Kedah having the biggest number at 1,342.

-- BERNAMA



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