“You have only one life, don’t waste it.” This was the display board that welcomed the guests at the Madurai Corporation’s de-addiction centre in Kodikulam near K.Pudur here on Thursday.
It was the right occasion to send out a message on overcoming drug and alcohol addiction, as the centre celebrated its first anniversary by felicitating those who had recovered and also recognised the families which had fought the addiction successfully.
Inaugurated on 28 December 2012, the10-bedded Corporation De-Addiction and Mental Health Centre has helped 381 addicts overcome their addiction to alcohol and drugs in the last one year.
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Those who were addicts once now lead a happy and healthy life. A schoolchild who narrated the turmoil in her home caused by her father’s drinking habit and how happy she was now to see a completely transformed father said it all at the function.
Corporation Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa and Commissioner Kiran Gurrala, who participated in the function, were happy with the achievement of the centre.
“Seeing these happy families gives me a lot of satisfaction. Women say their husbands are healthy and children express that the trauma was over. What more do we require,” the Mayor said.
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Mr.Gurrala said the de-addiction centre gave reformed persons a chance to live life with respect. “Persons with mental illness are most neglected and this centre could change the lives,” the Commissioner said.
According to City Health Officer V.Yasodha Mani, nearly 90 per cent of alcohol and drug addicts have responded well to the treatment.
The centre handles nine specialities, including de-addiction, general psychiatry, child psychiatry, suicide prevention, Alzheimer’s disease, marital counselling, narco analysis and child guidance.
Psychiatrist G. Kannan said the centre was equipped to provide in-patient treatment and a constant follow-up was arranged for those who attended de-addiction sessions.
While the Mayor promised to increase the medicine supply to the centre, Corporation Deputy Mayor R. Gopalakrishnan felt that the success message should reach the public in a big way to make more addicts get intervention at the right time.