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Rising number of abandoned mental health patients worries neuropsychiatric hospital

By Lawrence Njoku, Enugu
20 December 2021   |   2:41 am
The Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu (FNHE) has alerted authorities to the increasing number of abandoned mental health patients in the hospital
Mental health

[FILES] Mental health . PHOTO/Kiss 100

The Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu (FNHE) has alerted authorities to the increasing number of abandoned mental health patients in the hospital, saying the development has created a huge burden at the facility.

It, therefore, charged members of the public for assistance in their treatment and welfare.

Medical Director of the Hospital, Prof. Monday Igwe, who stated this during the hospital’s 2021 Thanksgiving and Town Hall Meeting, also solicited the assistance of philanthropists to offset patients’ medical bills and meet the daily needs of the facility.

Igwe further disclosed that the number of people with mental challenges have continued to rise, lamenting that the medical bills and upkeep of abandoned patients and the indigent ones have constituted an economic burden to the hospital.

He appealed to the Enugu State government, especially the wife of the governor, Mrs. Monica Ugochi Ugwuanyi, to add the patients to her schedule for Christmas visit and donations.

“We have some indigent patients as well as those patients abandoned by their relatives, who currently, the hospital and its staff are forced to feed, cloth and buy drugs for. By our calling and spirit of humanity, we cannot leave them to go out of the hospital care and premises, as they will constitute a danger to themselves and other members of the public.

“We call on good-spirited Nigerians, philanthropists, groups and faith-based organisations to come to our rescue in this aspect, especially at this period of celebrations. People should remember these indigent and abandoned patients during this special season of sharing,” he said.

He, however, said that the highest achievement of the hospital within the year was restoration of peace and cordial working environment among management and members of staff as well as among the employees themselves.

“There is a good working relationship between management and labour. Staff members are not denied their legitimate entitlements. We have cleared almost all salary arrears inherited from previous administration including salary shortfall in 2017, promotion arrears, uniform arrears for nurses and many other withheld salaries that did not follow due process before being implemented,” Igwe said.

He said that the hospital was faced with challenges of high electric tariff, lack of public water supply, inadequate hostel accommodation for student nurses and payment of outstanding promotion arrears from 2018 to 2020, among others.

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