Punjab to train medical officers in psychiatry for better management of OOAT clinics

The Punjab government has decided to train medical officers (MOs) in psychiatry to help manage the state’s many OOAT (Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment) clinics. This step has been taken because there are not enough psychiatrists to run these clinics across the state.

OOAT clinics are important for treating drug addiction. They offer medicines, counselling, and regular support to people addicted to opioids. However, the lack of psychiatrists is making it hard for these centres to function properly. Currently, Punjab has only 45 psychiatrists for 542 OOAT clinics. In some districts, there are no psychiatrists at all.

Because of this gap, the health department will now allow trained MOs to do some of the work that only psychiatrists were earlier allowed to do. These tasks include increasing or decreasing medicine dosages, registering new patients, and giving permission for home dosages.

This move is expected to make OOAT centres more efficient and accessible, especially for patients who travel long distances for treatment.

Why this step was needed

Psychiatrists are vital for the working of OOAT clinics. They are responsible for reviewing each drug addict’s condition and deciding how much dosage is required. They approve new patient registrations and decide if a patient can take their medication at home.

But in many districts, just one psychiatrist is managing multiple clinics. This causes delays in treatment and patient care. Many drug addicts have complained that they are not getting the necessary support because there are no psychiatrists available. These complaints made the department take urgent action.

To solve this problem, psychiatrists who have already been trained at the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS, will now train the MOs. A special module has been designed for this training.

A senior official from the Punjab Health Department said, “A training plan has already been prepared. The psychiatrists will guide the MOs to handle their duties properly. This will help us manage the workload better and serve patients faster.”

The officer explained that due to the shortage of psychiatrists, there were long delays in making decisions about home dosages for patients. Many OOAT clinics, especially in areas with high patient numbers, were not able to meet the demand.

“Now, once the MOs are trained, they will be able to handle these responsibilities on their own. Patients will not have to travel to far-off centres just to get their dosages adjusted,” the officer added.

The special training for MOs will cover all necessary topics related to opioid addiction treatment. The goal is to ensure that medical officers understand the science behind addiction, how medicines like buprenorphine and methadone work, and how to monitor a patient’s progress.

The training will also include how to deal with emergencies, when to refer a patient to a psychiatrist, and how to provide basic counselling. Since these MOs will now have legal authority to change dosages, they must be fully prepared to take this responsibility seriously.

Doctors attending this training will also be taught how to maintain medical records, how to keep patient information confidential, and how to avoid misuse of medicines.

The department said that the goal is not to replace psychiatrists, but to reduce the burden on them. “We still need psychiatrists for many critical decisions and for cases that require specialised knowledge. But giving MOs some authority will make the whole system faster and more efficient,” the official explained.

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Challenges faced by OOAT Clinics

Many OOAT centres in Punjab have been struggling due to the low number of psychiatrists. In areas where there is just one psychiatrist for multiple centres, the doctor has to travel a lot, making it difficult to give enough time to each patient.

Some clinics don’t have a psychiatrist visiting for weeks, leading to long queues and treatment delays. Patients are often told to return after days or even weeks just to make small changes to their medication.

In some areas, patients are forced to travel to district headquarters or even other cities just to get a psychiatrist’s approval. This not only increases their cost but also puts their recovery at risk if they miss regular dosages.

This lack of timely care affects their rehabilitation, and many end up relapsing. By training MOs, the state hopes to solve this issue and ensure that help is available at the nearest OOAT clinic itself.

Many patients have welcomed the decision. “Earlier, we had to travel 20–30 km just to get our dose changed. This meant missing work and spending money on transport,” said a patient at a clinic in Patiala. “If the local doctor can help us now, it will make things much easier.”

Health experts too have supported the idea, saying it is a practical solution given the psychiatrist shortage. “We need to be realistic. There simply aren’t enough psychiatrists to go around. Training MOs will help bridge that gap without affecting care,” said a senior addiction specialist in Chandigarh.

However, some also warned that proper monitoring will be important. “Medical officers must follow strict guidelines. There should be checks in place to avoid misuse of medicines. With proper training and oversight, this can work very well,” the specialist added.

Punjab has been battling a serious drug addiction problem for years. The OOAT programme was launched to offer regular treatment and stop the spread of addiction. It works on the idea that even if people can’t give up drugs immediately, they can be treated gradually with the help of medicine and counselling.

By training MOs to handle key responsibilities, the state government hopes to strengthen the OOAT network. The training programme will start soon, and more MOs will be brought in as the system expands.

Health officials believe that this change will make OOAT clinics more accessible, reduce patient wait times, and help more people recover from addiction.

As one official summed it up, “Our goal is to ensure that no one has to suffer just because there’s no psychiatrist in the district. We are preparing our medical officers to fill that gap with full responsibility and care.”