The Government has announced plans to establish four new district-level residential rehabilitation centres for drug addicts, including Sri Lanka’s first dedicated women’s rehabilitation centre, under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice and National Integration.
The decision was made during a high-level discussion on the Rehabilitation Bureau District Rehabilitation Center Plan, chaired by Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, held at the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday.
The initiative will focus on voluntary rehabilitation, with the goal of improving access and protecting the dignity of those undergoing treatment. The first center will be set up at the Senapura Vocational Training and Literacy Center in Welikanda, with additional centres to be established in other districts based on suitability and need.
Minister Nanayakkara emphasized that the programme must be designed to preserve the identity and confidentiality of individuals seeking rehabilitation. “The facilities should be accessible, humane, and spread across all 22 districts. Establishing the first centre in Senapura will pave the way for a national network of care,” he said.
The meeting also highlighted the urgent need to create a specialised facility for women addicted to drugs, acknowledging the lack of gender-specific rehabilitation infrastructure in the country.
