Dominica Badly in Need of Rehab Center says Dr. Benjamin

Consultant Psychiatrist for the Ministry of Health Dr. Griffin Benjamin says there is an urgent need for the construction of a rehab center in Dominica.

Dr. Benjamin who was addressing a concert organized by the Psychiatric Unit on Sunday, says in the last quarter of 2010 several of the cases were diagnosed with problems of drug and substance abuse.

He said this is not good for Dominica and is calling on the authorities to take action.

“There is a need for a rehab facility to be developed in Dominica because the trends are not good for us in Dominica. We admitted 22 more cases in the last term than we did in 2008. Of those 22 cases, 19 were new patients and all of them were diagnosed with problems of substance abuse. So that alone indicates that there is need for us to provide medical care for persons who abuse drugs,” he said.

He said in 2008 a proposal was submitted in that regard but nothing has happened.

“There has been no national effort to develop our programme or even a national effort to develop drug rehab programme. We have limited our treatment simply trying to prevent young people from taking drugs,” he said