A methadone clinic was inaugurated on July 1, 2026, at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot, a constituent institution of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS). The clinic represents a significant advancement in combating drug addiction in the region.
Free Daily Treatment for Opioid Dependence
Prof (Dr) Rajiv Sood, Vice-Chancellor of BFUHS, announced that medicine will be distributed daily between 8 am and 2 pm, with patients required to visit the clinic every day to receive their dose under supervision. He emphasized that this scientific and effective treatment will help drug addicts free themselves from dependency and return to a healthy and dignified life. The facility is free of cost, and the psychiatry department will run the clinic.
How Methadone Works
Dr Sood explained that 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 that produce rapid, intense highs followed by severe crashes, methadone works slowly and steadily in the body, 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 stabilizes patients physically and mentally, allowing them to focus on rebuilding their lives.
Supervised Administration Prevents Misuse
Dr P.D. Bansal, Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry at the medical college, noted that 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. Over time, doses can be gradually reduced under medical supervision, helping patients wean off opioids entirely.
Expected Impact and Future Expansion
International studies and experience from Punjab’s own OOAT (Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment) 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, according to Dr Sood. He expressed hope that the Faridkot facility would serve as a model for expanding methadone-based treatment across the region.
