The Federal Government is poised to enhance mental health in the South East with the establishment of 15 outposts in the five states of the zone.
At a press briefing shortly after he resumed office following his re-appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term of four years, the Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, Dr Monday Igwe explained that the outposts would be located in each of the senatorial districts, noting that the essence was to make access to mental health services easier for the people of the zone.
He disclosed nine out of the 15 proposed outposts had been completed and equipped and would be operational soonest with ambulances readily available to convey patients to Enugu in major cases.
Igwe said: “This hospital is the only psychiatric facility in the entire South East region. It is also the only facility that is made to train doctors and nurses in psychiatry. It is also the only facility that offers research in terms of mental health in the South East. It is also our mandate to give clinical services to people that have mental illnesses.
“The hospital also is available for the people of South-South and some parts of the North Central region of the country. So, if we don’t do well, we will be leaving Nigerians to suffer. That’s why we want to make this place to be the best and centre of excellence in mental health practice.
“There are a number of ways to actualise this. Since many people live very far away from Enugu State, we want to make sure our 15 newly built outposts in South East are operational.
“We have ensured each of the 15 senatorial districts in the South East has one outpost. We have successfully completed and equipped nine of the outposts while the rest are still ongoing.
“Those ones we have completed are going to be activated. We are going to post our staff there”.
The medical director received a rousing welcome from staff of the hospital, where he thanked the President for finding him worthy of another tenure in office.
Igwe took over a fractured health institution four years ago and has made efforts to restore the lost glory of the hospital.
