From Mokwugwo Solomon, Nnewi
Experts say no one was immune from mental illness and it could occur without prior notice. The reason they call for a sustainable means of funding mental health in Nigeria.
Psychiatrists say there is need for more investment and greater attention to mental health needs of Nigerians. Daily Sun investigation showed that more people developed mental health challenge with the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Medical Director, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu (FNHE), Dr. Monday Igwe, said the induced COVID-19 lockdown caused anxiety, depression and other psychiatric complications thereby increasing the number of patients the hospital attended to.
Unfortunately, he disclosed that the country lacked the manpower to handle the worsening situation. He lamented that the dearth of psychiatrists, which he blamed largely on migration outside Nigeria by medical workers for better pay, was affecting the mental health of the country: “There are eight Federal Government-funded psychiatric hospitals and a paltry 350 psychiatrists to take care of 200 million Nigerians.”
He decried the burden of abandoned mentally-ill patients by families and caregivers in the hospital, regretting that the hospital had limited resources and yet cannot reject people in such state: “It was for the reason of underfunding of mental health that the 2020 World Mental Health Day centred on the topic, ‘Mental Gealth for all: Greater Investment-greater access.’
“More than one billion people live with mental health disorder. Three million people die every year from harmful use of alcohol and one person dies every 40 seconds by suicide. We are already seeing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s mental well-being, and this is just the beginning.
“Unless we make serious commitments to scale up investment in mental health right now, the health, social and economic consequences will be far-reaching. There is a need to build more mental health facilities, train personnel and provide working materials as well as better remuneration to reduce migration of professionals to foreign countries as their services are even more needed in Nigeria.”
Igwe implored stakeholders, especially wealthy individuals from the South East, to support the hospital for sake of humanity and service to God: “We have a vision to make the hospital a centre of excellence in mental health care, research and training.
“The management and staff are doing our best to offer the best of mental healthcare to our people but we need collaboration from friends and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).”
A consultant psychiatrist at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Dr Paul Odinka, added his voice: “There is a need to put mental health funding in the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by government at all levels in order shoulder the huge cost of mental health on individuals and families that will help to alleviate poverty among the people.
“There should be mechanism put in place to increase access to mental health facilities throughout the country especially for the downtrodden and rural people.”
In another development, wife of Anambra State Governor, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, brought succour to some mentally-challenged persons through her pet project; Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE). She said CAFE’s mental health centre in Nteje, Oyi Local Government, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, successfully rehabilitated 144 mentally challenged persons since inception in 2014.
She spoke at the rehab home on Friday, June 18, as 12 inmates made up of eight males and four females, treated by the CAFE were certified sound and reunited with their various families. They were from Imo, Ebonyi, Rivers, Ogun and Osun states.
They were taken off the streets of Anambra by the organization, rehabilitated, cared for, transformed, and reunited with their families; with a renewed hope of being reintegrated back to the wider society.
Mrs. Obiano said: “It is of great interest to note that today; CAFE has successfully transformed 12 citizens, who before now had no hope of being useful members of the society. It is imperative to note that the release of the 12 patients brings the total of the mentally retarded persons that have been treated by the NGO, certified well and reunited with their families at the 77-bed space facility located at Nteje, to a total of 144.
“It is also important to note that 80 per cent of these numbers are not Anambra State indigenes. We are proud to be contributing meaningfully to the society, and to the overall vision of inclusive development. We have strong belief in the core values of sharing love and goodwill with fellow human beings without discrimination to societal standing.
“Reintegrating these 12 back to the society and reuniting them with their families, will restore the fabric of family and by extension the larger society, and I am glad we making impact.
“I don’t want any stigmatization of any kind on these people. They’ve been certified to be normal, therefore there should be no stigmatization please”.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Vincent Okpala, described the success of the centre as a perfect reflection of Mrs. Obiano’s life as epitome of benevolence. He promised that his ministry would continue to lend its own support to the Home.
Also, Commissioner for Social Welfare, Women and Children Affairs, Ndidi Mezue, stated that the centre has witnessed expansion in terms of activities, as well as number of inmates being treated, because of constant rescue of stray mentally challenged persons from the streets.
In addition, the CAFE Programme Manager, and Deputy Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Emeka Ozumba, said Mrs Obiano’s penchant for benevolence was a dogged show of passion. He noted that despite noticeable challenges, she has remained insistent in her drive to assist the less fortunate persons in the society.
One of the rehabilitated inmates, Uche Benson, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, thanked the wife of the governor, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Children Affairs, as well as the Ministry of Health for providing them with facilities that ensured their recovery.
Another inmate, Mrs Cicilia Mba, recalled how she developed mental case two years after her marriage, when she had only a child: “I got married in 2013, and in 2014, I had a son; but suddenly, I developed mental illness in 2015. My husband and my father’s family took me to different places, all to no avail. Some months ago, God remembered me through the CAFE, and today, I am made whole.”