From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi

The Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi and Kebbi State government have decided to team up to treat people who are mentally retarded. They came together recently to brainstorm on how to assist such patients and their relatives to overcome stress and depression associated with such sickness in the society.

The state government, on it own, has assigned General Hospital, Zauro, for the treatment of patients with mental disorder  and providing them with the necessary therapy in order  to live their normal lives after overcoming the stigma and challenges associated with the illness.

Speaking at the World Health Day organised by the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State recently, Professor Richard Uwakwe,from Department of Psychiatry, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Anambra State, noted that people with depression normally develop several symptoms such as loss of energy, change in appetite, sleeping, anxiety, reduced concentration, indecisiveness, restlessness, feeling of worthlessness, guilt or hopelessness and thought of self- harm or suicide.

According to him,  “depression is illness characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that you normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities, for at least two weeks “.

The don, who expressed concern over the low number of psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria, said the country only has 250 psychiatrists in all the 36 states with over 150 million population. He disclosed that the country has eight psychiatric hospitals compared to the rate of mentally derailed persons in the country.

“There is no law that covers mental problem. The federal government should address shortages of psychiatrists in the country, and we should be our brothers’ keepers, not going about individually. We should see mental illness as just another illness and make use of the treatment. I urge you all to join hands to build a wall without discrimination, a wall without depression,” he noted.

Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Birnin Kebbi, Dr. Abdullahi Ibrahim said 14,000 psychiatric patients across 21 local government areas of Kebbi

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State are under medical treatment at the General Hospital, Zauro, fortnightly.

Ibrahim, who spoke on the theme ‘Depression: Let’s Talk,’ at the ceremony

eulogised the practical roles Kebbi state government had been playing to ensure psychiatric patients receive best treatment and go back to their normal lives instead of roaming the streets.

He said: “Kebbi State has made huge investment in Mental health. Through the Zakat Board, we have been operating a visitation at General Hospital, Zauro, fortnightly where psychiatric patients are brought from various local governments for treatment. The programme, which I started with Late Prof. A.A Gwandu of blessed memory in 2009, now has about 14,000 patients under our care. Government provides drugs and pay allowances of the personnel involved.”

He noted that the interventions of Kebbi State Government have reduced vagrant psychotics in the streets of most towns and villages in the state.

Ibrahim also confirmed that depression affected people of all ages and could lead to suicide, which he said was now a leading cause of death among individuals between 15 and 29 years. He added that the general public should not take the issue of depression with levity, noting that both poor and rich  people in the society were affected and liable to the risk of mental disorder and suicide.

Speaking on practical measures on ground to protect members from committing suicide following the incident in Lagos when Dr. Oji Allwell plunged to the Lagos Lagoon, the National SecretaryGeneral, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, said the association had introduced a new mechanism to all its members as a measure to overcome depression on the job and after service.