JEDDAH — Al-Amal Hospital in Jeddah currently receives 25 female patients for treatment of drug addiction each month while the rehabilitation facility has space for only 200 patients, according to a report by Al-Madinah newspaper. The Hospital's Social Service Director and psychiatrist, Dr. Sulaiman Al-Zaidi, social service director at the hospital, said patients typically stay for six months before being released, leaving the hospital continually struggling to find space for new patients. “The hospital is always full, though. We also face legal problems, as some families refuse to show up to complete patients' papers for fear of what society might think,” he said. According to Al-Zaidi, 20 percent of patients who seek treatment are addicted to prescription medication for psychiatric conditions. “Only 5 percent of psychiatric drugs have the risk of being addictive. Dealing with a patient addicted to his own medicine is a sensitive matter that requires expert intervention. The Kingdom has a shortage of specialized psychiatrists dealing with such cases,” he said. Another hospital source who wished to remain anonymous said patients were typically between 18 and 25 years old. “In 2014, the hospital had 262 women drug addicts on its records. There are a lot more people in society who are addicted to drugs but refuse to seek help for one reason or another. Some are oblivious of their problem, others fear social scrutiny and others take their treatment and rehab program in the comfort of their home,” the source said. Al-Zaidi called on charities and educational institutions to be more proactive in spreading awareness regarding drug addiction and the truth about the condition. The director of research and information at the National Anti-Drugs Committee, Saeed Al-Sarihah, said the Kingdom has 20 mental health clinics certified to treat those suffering from drug addiction. “These clinics are operated by expert psychiatrists with high qualifications and training in the field. The method of treatment followed in the Kingdom is through cleansing, psychological rehabilitation, social rehabilitation and continual rehabilitation programs,” Al-Sarihah said. According to the committee's general secretary, Abdulillah Al-Sharif, about 72,000 people in the Kingdom who need treatment for drug addiction. “We have blocked over 3,000 online sites for selling and promoting narcotic drugs. Al-Amal Hospitals have several branches that function at optimum capacity. In Jeddah, we have 12,000 patients, in Dammam there are 18,000 patients and in Qassim there are 5,000,” Al-Sharif said. He said patients are addicted to amphetamine and hashish. “Amphetamine pills kill brain cells within three weeks of continuous use and hashish causes psychological and mental abnormalities. There are over 60 women researchers in the Kingdom spreading awareness on drug abuse and developing rehabilitation programs. Recovery is not impossible, society only needs to cooperate.” According to Al-Amal Hospital in Riyadh, 63,000 female patients and 85,000 male patients fully recovered over the past three years after receiving treatment for addiction.
