Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Experts call for public, private partnership in mental care

By Seye Olumide
07 December 2017   |   1:29 am
Experts in the mental health have emphasised on public-private partnership as a means to improving the mental health services in the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, and the country.

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole

Experts in the mental health have emphasised on public-private partnership as a means to improving the mental health services in the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, and the country.

Speaking at a dinner/awards event, held recently in Lagos to mark 110th anniversary of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who was represented by Prof. Biodun Ilesanmi, Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluwayemi Ogun, Chairman, Lekki Free Trade Zone, Mr. Biodun Dabiri and elder statesman, Chief Doja Adewolu, all urged well-meaning individuals and corporate organisations to always collaborate with the government in the bid to improve on the infrastructure and human capacity to reach more citizens needing mental health care.

According to Adewole: “The history of Yaba Psychiatric Hospital shows clearly that a combination of huge investment on the part of government and public has been largely responsible for its stages of development. This government will not relent on its determination to give mental healthcare services the needed attention because mental wellbeing of the citizenry is at the centre of industrialisation and productivity, which the country is currently striving to attain in order to guarantee steady economic growth and prosperity.

Dabiri, who recently donated a multi-million naira Child and Adolescent Centre to the hospital, called for more concerted efforts to fund and support the health sector in Nigeria, especially mental health, citing alarming rate of brain drain in the health sector as a development that calls for concern. Adewolu, who chaired the event, said mental illness, if treated timely, could be cured like any other diseases, saying, “there should be no reason for any form of stigmatisation of people with mental illness.” 

Ogun said the hospital’s next line of action was to expand mental health services considerably, build an Out Patient Clinic Complex, have a Complex of Amphi Theatre comprising seminar rooms, multi purpose hall and psycho geriatric ward.

In this article

0 Comments