Newspaper of Riyadh | The Ministry of Health: Activation of the initiative to enhance addiction care services in 50 hospitals

The Ministry of Health indicated that the number of beneficiaries of mental health hospitals and the number of healthy people healed reached (4,145) healed from January to June 2022 AD, while the number of those admitted to treatment centers reached (5670 ) patients and the number of care seekers (emergency services and outpatient auditors) (22632). ) sick people.

It confirmed that it has taken an initiative to improve the provision of addiction treatment services in psychiatric clinics by naming 50 hospitals as psychiatric clinics, as well as organizing an introductory seminar on the initiative and linking the clinics on the Mawwad platform and the Virtual Health Hospital, in order to provide clinical advice to doctors through clinics specialized in the treatment of addictions.

The ministry explained that the idea of ​​the initiative was born by introducing doctors to the mechanism for dealing with addiction cases within the health model, addressing the addictive disease and accompanying psychological symptoms, as well as introducing the role of the family in the promoting the therapeutic and rehabilitation process and the importance of integrating patients into addiction rehabilitation services to reduce relapse rates.

The Ministry of Health indicated that the initiative aims to facilitate access to services for patients with addiction, reduce stigma among patients with addiction, strengthen the health care model and increase the quality of health services for patients with dependence.

The Ministry stated that Irada and the Mental Health Complexes in the Kingdom provide preventive, curative and rehabilitative services, which are represented in the definition of the dangers of addiction and its complications, the risk factor of falling in it and the causes of relapse and in the treatment of withdrawal symptoms when you stop addiction or treat the psychological symptoms that accompany it, either through clinics or through the wings of hypnosis, and indicated that the skills needed to continue stopping addiction are provided, either through the clinics, which is the so-called aftercare, both through accommodation and hospitalization in the so-called retirement homes, which can extend from (6 to 9 months).

The preventive aspects carried out by Erada and by Hospitals and Mental Health Complexes include awareness classes, activation of international drug days, telephone consultations and awareness messages through social media. Addiction treatment clinics and hypnosis suites in IRADA complexes and hospitals also provide services for the treatment of withdrawal symptoms following discontinuation and the treatment of psychological symptoms associated with addiction, which can last up to a month , interspersed with individual sessions to increase understanding and increase motivation to join rehabilitation programs.

Regarding the major services in rehabilitation clinics (aftercare) or in (internal admissions), they include individual sessions, as well as group sessions, educational classes, activities, sports and rehabilitation, as well as providing services through a safe therapeutic community, and similar rehabilitation activities in recreational and religious trips such as Hajj and Umrah.