…Moves to launch institute in Enugu
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Nigerian Mental Health Practitioners in the United States, have noted with concern, the inadequacy of infrastructure for mental health care in Nigeria.
President of the association, Dr Azubuike Aliche, who stated this in an interview with newsmen in Umuahia, Abia State, said the group had decided to intervene to help bridge the gap.
He said that the association would launch the Nigeria-American Institute for Mental Health at Godfrey Okoye University Enugu on April 13, as part of its resolve to help provide quality health care for patients with mental challenges.
Dr Aliche regretted that the Nigerian Government “has less budgetary provisions for mental health,” describing it as inadequate in view of the preponderance of mental cases in the country.
He said only about 10% of patients with mental challenges in Nigeria have access to mental health care.
According to him, between 10% and 20% of the Nigerian population, has one form of mental health challenge or the other.
He said that a country with such a huge population of mental health challenges should be intentional about her mental health care.
Dr Aliche said the intervention of the US group comprising different experts in mental health care, would be more on awareness creation and training of local medics on the treatment of mentally deranged persons.
Noting that economic stress could cause or worsen mental challenge, Dr Aliche regretted that religious and cultural beliefs constitute major setbacks in the treatment of mental illness in Nigeria.
He said it was wrong to assume that a mentally deranged person was the cause of his or her condition instead of finding ways to assist the patient access treatment.
Dr Aliche said that patients with mental health challenge should not be discriminated against, adding that it is an eyesore to allow them roam the streets.
He promised that the group would assist various homes for mentally deranged persons on how best to take care of them.
