(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat- Over 6,400 drug addiction cases were registered with the National Registry for Addiction till the end of 2018. Muscat topped the list followed by North Batinah governorate.

Dr Mahmood bin Zahir al Abri, senior consultant and National Committee for Narcotics & Psychotropic Substances Affairs (NCNPSA) rapporteur said 6,453 cases were registered with the National Registry for Addiction.

He was speaking at the opening of the Addiction Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre in Sohar on Wednesday. The construction of the centre was funded by Jusoor Foundation. He stressed that the rehabilitation centre will be a significant addition to the health and social services sector in the country. 'North Batinah governorate ranked second with 15 per cent of the total number of the cases registered. This number represents only the cases that are seeking treatment and does not reflect the real problem of drug addiction and abuse in the sultanate,' Dr Mahmood said.

H E Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Obaid al Sa'eedi, Minister of Health, pointed out that the new centre, which was set up in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Sohar Municipality and Jusoor Foundation, will be a specialised centre for rehabilitating and treating drug addicts in the governorate. Omar Mohammed al Abri, acting executive manager at Jusoor pointed out that the organisation recognises the importance of real partnership of the government and private sectors and the civil society.

Omar added that the centre was constructed by Jusoor and the Founding Companies (Orpic, Vale and Sohar Aluminium) at a cost of RO1,611,000 on an area of 39,687sq m. He said that the centre has a capacity to accommodate 2,393 drug addicts annually. It is equipped with deaddiction clinics, two recovery units with 40 beds and an administration building.

The centre will provide services to patients not just from North Batinah but also from governorates such as South Batinah, Dhahirah and Buraimi.

The centre has many buildings and units including admission units with a capacity of 60 beneficiaries in three buildings, psychological counselling building, training and development rooms, a building for professional and craft training, and a prayer room with a capacity of 100 people. It also has other facilities like three-storeyed outpatient clinics, administration building, maintenance and services building and sports facilities.

The opening ceremony of the centre was held in the presence of H E Sheikh Muhanna bin Saif al Lamki, Governor of North Batinah.

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