From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Government has commenced the evacuation of persons living with mental disorder from roads in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.
The evacuation followed a directive from Governor Douye Diri to a special committee set up to ensure prompt treatment of people with mental disorder starting with those in Yenagoa.
The committee which has since commenced work has the deputy- governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo as chairman while the Commissioner for Women, Children Affairs, Empowerment and Social Development, Mrs Faith Opuene her Ministry of Health and Environment counterparts, Dr Pabara Newton Igwele and Iselema Gbaranbiri respectively are members.
Opuene who led a team to commence the evacuation reiterated its commitment to evacuate people living with mental health disorders from the streets of Yenagoa and other locations across the state to a temporary psychiatric ward for proper medical treatment.
. Opuene, assured that those living with mental health disorders would be taken off the streets to a health facility for proper medication.
“We embarked on the evacuation of people living with mental illness on the roads and streets of our state to a psychiatric ward for a proper psychiatric treatment. Today we have been able to evacuate ten persons off the streets of Yenagoa and now they are receiving medical attention.
“When they are stable, we will be able to get information from them, know where they came from, and if they are Bayelsans we will reunite them with their family. Those that are not Bayelsans will be sent back to their states as they normally sent to us,” she said.
Gbaranbiri in his remarks hinted that it is an inter-ministerial function that involves the Ministry of Women Affairs, Environment and Health.
“In synergy, we have put modalities in place to evacuate people living with mental health disorders to sanitize the state capital, Yenagoa and its environs,” he said.