Patiala, June 30 -- Amid shortage of psychiatrists, the Punjab health department has decided to train medical officers (MOs) to do their job so as to effectively run the outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) clinics. Psychiatrists perform a host of jobs, like monitoring and adjusting opioid dosages, approving new patient registrations and authorising home dosages.

To overcome the shortage of psychiatrists at OOAT centres, MOs would be imparted training by psychiatrists who have already attended a workshop at the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS. The decision by the department is said to have been taken following complaints by drug addicts for failing to provide the required psychiatrists.

Currently, there a...