Dr Prem Kumar Shanmugam, who is the CEO of the private addiction treatment centre, said: “We have always pioneered in addiction treatment and our private outpatient clinic was a missing element in the treatment spectrum that we now have fulfilled”.
Solace has been running a successful inpatient residential treatment centre in Kota Kinabalu since 2014.
An outpatient treatment centre allows patients to continue with their regular schedule and responsibilities while attending counselling and other therapies 3-4 times a week.
They also provide an intensive outpatient programme, which is more rigorous and requires daily attendance.
Dr Prem added: “People with severe addictions are better suited for inpatient programmes, but for people with mild substance abuse or in the beginning phase, our multi-modal outpatient treatment will provide the best support for recovery.”
The newly-opened clinic, operational from Feb 1, located in the Publika Mall area, provides group therapy, individual therapy, mindfulness workshops, support groups and training for people wanting to work in the addiction field.
They cater to drug addiction, alcoholism and process addictions such as gambling and eating disorders.
A total of 131,841 drug addicts have been registered in Malaysia between January 2010 and 2016, said the home ministry. Out of that number, 127,797 were men and 4,044 women.
Only 16% of addicts received treatment.
People needing outpatient treatment can call the Solace Helpline at 1800886147 or email [email protected].