A one-day workshop on Synthetic Drugs and other Drugs at the initiative of the Ministry of Health and Wellness was launched this morning at the Hennessy Park Hotel by the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal.
The workshop which is a first among a series of 12 workshops was attended by some 50 participants namely doctors, high officials of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, representatives from the Mauritius Police Force and Prison Services as well as representatives of the Non-Governmental Organisations.
In his address on the occasion, Dr Kailesh Jagutpal, emphasised on the importance of such workshop which bears testimony to his personal commitment and that of the Government in addition to the dedication of the Prime Minister in the relentless fight against drug trafficking so as to attain a drug-free society. He dwelt on the various hindrances of drugs on families and the community at large, while highlighting the need to raise awareness among youngsters of the dire consequences resulting from drug abuse. On this score, he called for a concerted effort of all stakeholders including NGOs, the Civil Society and parents to join hands in the fight against drugs.
Dr Kailesh Jagutpal, stressed on the necessity of taking on board more community leaders, parents, and various role models to convey anti-drug messages to the society at large and recalled that the Harm Reduction Unit of his Ministry is already providing extensive prevention campaigns targeting youths both in and out of school.
Moreover, he highlighted that his Ministry will continue to invest on specialised treatment and workforce to provide better medical service as well as psycho social support to drug victims. He concluded by expressing his optimism that the workshop will come up with innovative means to tackle drug scourge in the country.
The aim of the workshop is to help protect the citizens especially the youths against drugs and illicit substances with a view to free the country from the scourge of drugs. The deliberations of the workshops will help towards the formulation of a comprehensive document to assess the current situation of drugs in the country which will in turn help revamp strategies in the fight against drugs.