THE drug rehabilitation center built in Camp Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija is expected to be opened in November, Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial said Tuesday.
"Our opening of the mega drug treatment and rehabilitation center in Nueva Ecija is expected to be sometime November," Ubial told reporters.
Ubial said almost 50 percent of the facility has been completed since the construction began in September.
The rehabilitation center was built after a certain Huang Rulun, a a businessman China, donated funds for the purpose. The facility could accommodate 10,000 drug dependents.
"Mr. Huang Rulun is the donor of a total of 10,000-patient capacity rehabilitation center or 100,000 square meters and 2,500 beds facility will now be turned over by November 16," Ubial said.
Ubial said personnel of the Department of Health (DOH) is now viewing the rehabilitation center and having a dry run on how to manage the patients who will be referred there in its opening.
Based on the estimates of the DOH, Ubial said about one to two percent of the drug personalities who surrendered to the authorities need residential drug rehabilitation or in-patient care.
Ubial said the rest of surrenderees will be referred either to a community-based program or an out-patient rehabilitation program.
She said the DOH is also working with local government units to actually train the frontline doctors and health professionals to provide the community-based rehabilitation program, as well as the outpatient rehabilitation program.
The right wing of the building, Ubial said, can accommodate almost 1,000 patients and offices are now ready to be furnished.
Ubial said construction of the left wing of the building and the female dormitory is underway.
The Health chief said the government is also targeting to establish "mega" treatment and rehabilitation centers in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The budget will be sourced from the proposed 2017 budget. (Sunnex)