Neuropsychiatric Hospital establishes mental healthcare outposts in rural S/East

The Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, says it has moved healthcare to the hinterlands by firming-up its proposed plan to have community mental health outposts in the 15 senatorial zones in South-East.

The Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Monday Igwe, told our correspondent on Thursday that the hospital had already completed building six of the community mental health outposts.

The medical director said that having completed six of the outposts; the contract for the construction of the remaining nine had been awarded.

Igwe said that the hospital embarked on taking mental health care closer to the people, in order to support the efforts of the Federal Government at revamping the health sector and making it accessible to all Nigerians.

According to him, the community mental health outpost projects remain a laudable legacy project of the management of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu.

Igwe said: “In a bid to support the efforts of the Federal Government in revamping the health sector, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, proposed to construct 15 community mental health outposts in South-East, Nigeria.”

“There will be three community mental health outposts in each state and one per senatorial zone.”

“Six of such outposts are completed and furnished as well as ready for commissioning.”

“Those completed are spread as follows: two in Ebonyi, one in Imo and three in Enugu state, while contract awards have been made for the other nine.”

“The essence of the outposts is to make mental healthcare more accessible to mental patients as well as people in South-East, Nigeria.”

“Our staff will soon be posted to the ones already completed to provide services to our people, under the supervision of a dedicated consultant psychiatrist.”

“Other support staff like nurses and administrative personnel will also be readily available at each of the outposts.”

“Minor cases will be attended to at the outposts and more serious cases referred to the main hospital in Enugu, which is currently the only stand alone psychiatric health facility in South-East, Nigeria”.

He added that the project would help check stigmatisation of mental health challenged individuals as well as check the use of crude methods, lack of love and empathy in caring for such mental health patients.