Man held for stealing de-addiction medicines from Punjab hospital

Punjab Police have arrested a person for his alleged involvement in the theft of de-addiction medicines from the Moga Civil Hospital, officials said on Saturday. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh termed the theft as a serious crime and assured that the strictest legal action will be taken against the accused.

''The accused involved in stealing narcotic tablets from the Moga Civil Hospital have been arrested within days of the incident. I commend the Moga District Administration and Police for their efforts,'' said the minister in a statement.

Giving details of the case, the minister said on the night of Diwali, de-addiction medicines were stolen from the Moga Civil Hospital. A total of 10,150 stolen tablets were recovered, while 850 tablets had already been sold by the accused.

In the statement, he reiterated that under the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, a policy of zero tolerance is being followed against drug traffickers.

Singh highlighted that the state government's ''Yudh Nashian Virudh'' campaign is proving to be a milestone in eradicating the menace, with effective results now becoming visible. He informed that nearly 20,000 individuals have given up addiction since the campaign was launched.

Singh also outlined the government's broader efforts to strengthen health infrastructure, including the recruitment of 1,400 doctors, the ongoing process to hire 1,000 more nurses, and the availability of 350 types of free medicines in hospitals.