A man works in front of the drug rehabilitation centre Orkas Knhom in 2015. Post Staff
Drug rehabilitation centre Orkas Knhom has temporarily stopped receiving victims who seek treatment and rehabilitation.
Currently, as many as 2,000 victims are being treated at the centre.
Phnom Penh Department of Social Affairs and Orkas Knhom director Mom Chandany said on December 14 that this temporary halt was due to overcrowding at the centre.
In other words, she requested drug victims to get treatment service at health centres in other referral hospitals in Phnom Penh and provinces.
“But when necessary, when the police send victims to it in an emergency, I will consider receiving them. But they are to be put in separate rooms for 14 days,” she said.
Chandany will ask to allow those who have gotten rid of their addiction to return home and she will wait and see whether the November 28 community incident will be better.
The Orkas Knhom urged parents to welcome their children whose health is better to go home. The centre also instructed parents about how to educate and support their children at home.
Chandany added that the Orkas Knhom had still had a lack of space for victims because the number of drug victims had a lot.
“I made a request and report to the Phnom Penh municipal governor because I wanted to have buildings with more rooms, especially to separate those whose addiction are more serious and less serious. Every drug victims have different health conditions,” she said.
She said that she wanted bigger rooms and spaces for them to grow vegetables, and especially rooms to learn life skills. Many partner organisations had supported the initiative without thinking of money. But the training rooms were narrow.
So, 10 per cent of victims had received life skill training. If new victims still seek help at the centre, it needs about three buildings that consist of 20 rooms for them to stay and learn professional skills.
Phnom Penh Municipal Deputy Governor Mean Chanyada sent a letter, which was seen by The Post on December 14, to Chandany, notifying her that she can stop receiving drug victims temporarily at the rehabilitation centre.
