Health

The Kware community in Sokoto State has called for a robust and pragmatic partnership in tackling mental health challenges in the country.
The Sokoto State Head of Service, Dr Buhari Bello, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday at Kware.
Bello called for joint partnership between governments, traditional institutions and groups on tackling cases of mental health disorders in the country.
He commended the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Kware, for creating more public awareness on its activities towards achieving efficient services.
He appreciated the public lecture on: “Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World”, organised by the Association of Psychiatric Nurses of Nigeria (APNON) in the hospital as good forum for public awareness.
The forum was organised as part of 2018 World Mental Health Day.
Bello advised that such event should be accompanied with free mental health screening and drug tests to people in recognition of overwhelming statistics revealed on the associated brain disorders.
According to him, the State Government will continue to partner with the hospital on its special services as it does with National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on various moves to ensure drug-free society.
He also asked the state hospital management to sustain such awareness as well as outreach on mental health disorders, noting that it affects everybody in the society.
Bello expressed excitement over transformations recorded in the hospital located in the community and urged stakeholders to collaborate with the facility on mental health programmes.
Another resident, Alhaji Aliyu Sokoto, commended the present Medical Director, Dr Shehu Sale, on his stewardship which has contributed a lot to the hospital community and the larger society.
Sokoto noted that the problems within the hospital had been tackled and now the institution was better focused administratively.
He commended Sale for introducing administration result oriented programmes as a highly experienced psychiatric doctor and associate professor on the mental field.
He explained that renovations of post basic school of psychiatric nursing, manpower development through training of the workers so they can perform in line with best global practices and general rehabilitation of the hospital which suffered neglect over the years.
He added that payment of call duty and feeding allowances to doctors, lab scientists and pharmacists had help in stabilising the institution.
“Payment of 2014, 2015 and 2016 promotion arrears and implementation of 2017 promotion as well as smooth conduct of 2018 promotion, employing more resident’s doctors and training them in line with regulations of post graduate medical and West African College of Physicians , conversion of staff from lowest to highest cadre are well noted,” Sokoto said.
He also explained that restoration of transparency in the hospital was one of the cardinal objectives of the present administration.
Sokoto said the present administration ensured transparent bidding on contracts, cordial community relations and improving workers welfare.
According to him, records indicated that the hospital’s productivity and income generation has increased alongside prompt service delivery to patients, improved power supply as well as safety and comfort of patients.
Sokoto also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing an administrator that is rejuvenating the hospital.
The National Chairman of APNON, Mr Sani Haruna, also noted that the facility recorded highest number Psychiatric nurses undertaking professional examination at the School of Post Basic Nursing under the present leadership.
Haruna called for more support and collaboration on mental health which he said would contribute in addressing substance abuse, suicide cases and other associated problems in the society.