The health department has fixed a target of 10-bed de-addiction centres in every district by March 31.

Sources said except Patna, Darbhanga and Samastipur, places for starting the centres have already been finalised. According to the plan, the de-addiction centres would be started at the district hospitals and places where there are no hospitals, the de-addiction centre would be started in co-ordination with the medical college hospital.

At present, patients addicted to substance abuse have no option other than to depend on private de-addiction centres, where stay is very expensive. The state government does not have any mechanism to regulate these centres.

"At the government de-addiction centres, there would be a team of trained doctors, counsellors and nurses," said Rajnish Kumar, the administrative officer of State Health Society, Bihar.

He said civil surgeons of all the districts have been asked to quickly complete the formalities regarding the opening of the de-addiction centres.

In another decision, the civil surgeons have been asked to start departmental proceedings against doctors found absent during duty hours.

"Doctors absent from the hospital would be suspended and departmental proceedings would be initiated against them. Earlier, we were only blocking a day's salary of such doctors and issuing showcause notices to them. But now, more stringent action would be taken. A decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of State Health Society officials with civil surgeons that concluded on Friday."

Administrative officer Rajnish added: "The in-charge of primary health centres (PHCs) have been asked to ensure the availability of telephones in their respective centres. Health officials would make random calls to the primary health centre numbers and if the calls go unanswered, action would taken against the PHC in-charge and the concerned doctors."