Assam Introduces Stringent SOPs for Rehabilitation Centres

Starting August 1, Assam will implement new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for rehabilitation centres, announced Minister Pijush Hazarika. Centres have three months to comply, or they will face closure. The new SOPs require:

• Minimum of 25 beds
• Two nurses, a cook, and 15 staff members
• On-site psychiatrists
• Doctor approval for inmate admission within 24 hours
• Renewal every three years, with applications submitted two months in advance
• HIV-positive drug abuse patients treated at ART centres
• Project coordinator, project assistant, and office assistant with graduate qualifications

This follows the mysterious death of a youth at a rehab centre in Goalpara.