A methadone clinic was launched today at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital here, a constituent institution of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), marking a step forward in the battle against drug addiction.
Prof (Dr) Rajiv Sood, Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, said the launch of this methadone clinic was an important milestone. “Through scientific and effective treatment, drug addicts will be able to free themselves from dependency and return to a healthy and dignified life,” he said, urging needy patients and their families to avail themselves of the free government facility. Medicine will be distributed daily between 8 am and 2 pm, with patients required to visit the clinic every day to receive their dose.
Dr Sood said methadone is a long-acting synthetic opioid used globally as a frontline treatment for opioid use disorder, particularly dependence on heroin and poppy husk. Unlike street drugs, which produce rapid, intense highs followed by severe crashes, methadone works slowly and steadily in the body, typically remaining effective for 24 to 36 hours.
As a full opioid agonist, it binds to the same brain receptors targeted by heroin or other opioids, effectively eliminating withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings without producing the euphoric rush associated with illicit substances. This stabilises the patient physically and mentally, allowing them to concentrate on rebuilding their life, said the VC.
Administered orally under supervised clinical conditions, methadone prevents patients from experiencing the extreme highs and lows of active addiction. Over time, doses can be gradually reduced under medical supervision, helping the patient wean off opioids entirely. Critically, because patients receive the medicine daily at a clinic under supervision, the risk of diversion or misuse is significantly lower compared to take-home prescriptions, said Dr PD Bansal, Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry at the medical college. The psychiatry department will run this clinic.
International studies and experience from Punjab’s own OOAT centres indicate that methadone-assisted treatment substantially reduces illicit drug use, crime, risk of overdose deaths, and transmission of blood-borne infections among recovering addicts, said Dr Sood.
He expressed hope that the Faridkot facility would serve as a model for expanding methadone-based treatment across the region.
