Aġenzija Sedqa offers Malta’s only medical observation unit for substance misusers. This national service caters for substance abusers who need medical attention during the stabilisation of treatment, the substitution of treatment regimes, or the detoxification from substances of abuse.
The Substance Misuse In-Patient Unit (SMIPU) also known as Dar L-Impenn is a six-bedded section set up to assist people who use drugs to cope with the difficulties they encounter in dealing with their substance use disorder. This unit is a low-threshold one with few limitations as to who can be admitted. It is staffed by a nurse and a care worker on a 24-hour basis while other professionals from the agency, such as social workers and therapists carry out regular individual and group-based interventions. Treatment plans at this unit are facilitated by Sedqa’s medical doctors. They oversee the indication for admission, the planned medical interventions, and facilitate the process whereby the patient could proceed to the next phase of their care plan (such as a supported return to the community or admission to the residential rehabilitation programme).
