Yaba Psychiatric Hospital renovates drug centre to boost service delivery

The Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos has renovated and equipped a drug abuse treatment centre with adequate facilities to boost service delivery.

The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Olugbenga Owoeye, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent on Tuesday in Lagos.

Owoeye said that the renovated centre would enhance service delivery capabilities of the hospital to curb the menace of drug abuse.

Owoeye said the facility was renovated and equipped with 60,000 dollars grant from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission.

He noted that the renovated facility had improved the hospital’s services in rehabilitation of drug abuse.

“The menace of drug in Nigeria now is taking a new dimension; a lot of substances are being abused, a lot of young adults and youths are being involved.

“So, there’s a need to look at this problem head-on and proffer solutions. To this end, the hospital has a newly renovated and equipped drug abuse rehabilitation centre.

“The facility was renovated through a $60,000 grant from the ECOWAS Commission. And this has really improved our service delivery on drug rehabilitation at Yaba Psychiatric Hospital,” Owoeye said.

He said that more staff had been trained and empowered to manage the facility to take care of people with drug abuse challenge.

Owoeye said that they were trained under the hospital’s ‘drug advisory programme curriculum’, otherwise known as ‘colombo drug advisory programme.

He explained that the training programme was sponsored by the Federal Government with assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

“In this programme, we have been able to train more than 400 drug professionals, who are responsible for treatment of those people with drug related problems,” he said.

Owoeye, who lauded the Federal Government for its supports, listed a stand-alone molecular laboratory, 10-bedded intensive care unit, another 10-bedded amenity ward, as COVID-19 gains received by the hospital from the government.

According to him, these are part of the efforts of the Federal Fovernment in tackling drug abuse in the country.

He explained that the facilities would ensure access to mental healthcare services within Nigeria rather than travelling abroad for such services.

***He said that the facilities so provided were intended to ensure that people could access mental healthcare services within Nigeria rather than travelling abroad for such services.

“The hospital is generally upgrading its services; all the facilities gained during the COVID-19 era from the Federal Government have been put into use.

“These facilities, especially the molecular laboratory are for research, training and better mental health services to the citizens of Nigeria.

“So, people don’t need to travel abroad to access mental health services,” he said.