The training programme for policemen selected from different police stations in the rural district was inaugurated by Dr. Junaidh Rahman, Medical Superintendent, Ernakulam General Hospital, at Kalamassery Armed Reserve Camp here on Thursday.
The training is being given as part of Mochana 2010, the anti-alcohol drive launched by the Rural Police., which was launched by A.M. Yousuf, MLA, in the presence of B. Sandhya, Inspector General of Police, Ernakulam Range, in May.
The trained policemen will serve as counsellors and trainers in the drive.
The project was launched with the aim of creating awareness among the public, especially the youth, about the dangers of consumption of alcohol and other NDPS substances.
Attempting to delay the starting age of consumption, identifying and extending help to the addicted persons and providing other support with the help of Government and NGOs and forming ‘Non-alcohol' support groups in educational institutions and other organizations are other goals of the project.
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Ernakulam Government Hospital, Co-operative Medical College, Kalamassery, and many NGOs are associating with this project, which is being implemented as part of Janamaithri Suraksha Padditi, the community policing initiative.
The selected policemen will be trained in batches of five to seven persons at de-addiction centres of Ernakulam General Hospital and Co-operative Medical College, Kalamassery from Monday onwards.
The trained policemen will then visit schools and also offer counselling to the alcoholics.
Dr. Beena, Director NRHM, Dr. Jayasuriya, clinical psychiatrist of Co-operative Medical College, Kalamassery, and Samdeesh, clinical Pshcyologist of Ernakulam General Hospital, attended the function at the Kalamassery AR Camp.
