This drug rehabilitation centre in Oman needs your help

Energy Wednesday 23/August/2017 20:49 PM
By: Times News Service
This drug rehabilitation centre in Oman needs your help

Muscat: Thousands of rials in debt, with little community support, Oman’s first government accredited 24-hour drug rehabilitation centre has been able to continue treating addicts despite its current financial situation.
“Some of them (addicts) come in with only OMR50 in their pocket. It basically costs OMR600 a month to treat, house and feed them, but we’re only asking for OMR300, just to sponsor them because we can’t afford to anymore,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder, Dr Zahra Al Harmali said.
Shuroq Al Amal Al Alamia, the Rise of Hope International, was founded two years ago and has treated 204 cases since then. In the last five months alone, 45 men have been treated at the facility.
“The centre is almost OMR48,000 in debt and we are expecting to have our electricity shut at any given time. Even if they (patients) paid their full cost, it wouldn’t be enough to pay for everything. We have stopped paying the salaries of the Omani employees and only pay for the expats, because they are foreigners. We just need help in sponsoring these young men to give them a chance at life,” Al Harmali said.
Last Wednesday, the centre celebrated its first graduation batch, with the graduation of eight of their patients. “We call them, ‘Friends of Determination.’ We take them by the hands and say, we welcome you into our arms,” Al Harmali added.
Recovering addicts and family members rejoiced as the eight individuals battled their addiction and graduated from the programme, after completing six months at the rehabilitation centre.
“I give all my gratitude to Shuroq Al Amal, my smile has returned,” the wife of one graduate said. “I am the wife of an addict, and society has treated my children and me as if we were the ones abusing drugs,” she shared on stage.
Saud Al Maamari, a recovering addict and therapist at the centre, stated that both the disease of addiction and its treatment are complex issues.
“Our main goal is to return the addict to the community, but the disease and treatment are complex. The environment plays a big role, especially when they are returned to the same environment. That’s why it’s important to treat them in the same locally.”
“Every individual in the community can play their role and help in their own way. It is like how the saying goes: when one hand doesn’t clap. It is their choice to get clean, but it is our responsibility to help them,” Al Mammari said.
For more information on the centre, dial 99381997 or 99619477.
Shuroq Al Amal Al Alamia is located in North Al Hail, Way no 1808, House no 571.