St Giles lacks capacity to rehabilitate drug addicts - Volatabu

As actions are being taken to tackle the drug issue in the country, concerns are being raised that the Saint Giles Psychiatric Hospital is not capable and does not have the capacity to rehabilitate drug addicts.

In an interview with fijivillage News, Drug Free World Fiji Founder, Kalesi Volatabu says the hospital does not have the staff trained to work with drug addicts, and there are security needs and concerns regarding case management and long-term management of the patients.

She says the first thing we need to address with the drug issue is a standalone facility that will take patients for three months.

Volatabu says the rehabilitation does not just stop at the centre and their transition out into the community plays a role as well.

She says they have to be supervised for up to two years.

As the Government is taking steps to address the issue with the launch of the Counter-Narcotics Strategy framework and the setting up of the Narcotics Bureau, Volatabu says different ministries, are sitting down and signing off on different actions regarding what they are supposed to do based on their strategy.

She says Drug Free World Fiji has been doing drug awareness but they are not funded and during her discussion with the Prime Minister at Fiji Showcase, she raised the need for funding because they cannot do it for another five years with no funds.

Volatabu further says she is grateful that they have been given the opportunity to be at Fiji Showcase and the Prime Minister actually wanted to come and hear about the work they are doing and what their concerns are.

Fiji Showcase is underway at the Vodafone Arena and ends this Saturday.