Keywords: Psychiatric hospitals, mental health Nigeria.
Introduction.
Government Psychiatric Hospitals in Nigeria. Are there psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria? Where are some of them located?
There are increasing cases methamphetamine, alias mkpuru mmiri, use in Nigeria, presently. For this, the Federal Government is to build 15 mental health clinics in the country. These are to be located in each senatorial district in five states of the southeast. This report is according to Dr. Monday Igwe, the Medical Director of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu.
The project will really go a long way in mental healthcare in the country. And despite inadequate manpower, mental healthcare in Nigeria continues to help patients of all ages and gender.
Psychiatric hospitals are also known as mental hospitals or mental health units. These are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. These include substance use or abuse, clinical depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder among others.
These hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialize only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients. Others may specialize in the temporary or permanent care of residents who, as a result of a psychological disorder, require routine assistance, treatment, or a specialized and controlled environment
There are a number of different types of modern psychiatric hospitals. And all of them house people with mental illnesses of widely variable severity.
Several reports have revealed that Nigeria is generally short of physicians. And, there are less than 350 psychiatrists for its over 200 million people.
There are some psychiatric hospitals owned by government. A number of general hospitals also provide psychiatric services. And some primary healthcare centres also provide mental health services.
Despite these facilities, experts generally believe that mental health care remains inadequate in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous black country.
Now however, here are some of the top government psychiatric hospitals/mental health institutions in Nigeria. There are also some private psychiatric facilities in the country that go a long way in complementing government services.
Some government owned psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria.
However, best government psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria, are as follows;
The Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta
This is the first in our list. Designated by the World Health Organization in 1979 as the WHO Collaborating Centre. It is a centre in Research and Training in Mental Health and Neuroscience. It is selected by the Federal Government of Nigeria as one of the 7 specialty hospitals in Nigeria to be rehabilitated. And equipped to a 5-star status, categorized as a 3-star service provider in 2008 by SERVICOM for acceptable quality service delivery.
It has won at least four different awards which includes:
The Best Primary Health Care Provider 2015:
Won the Nigerian Health Care Excellence award as the Primary Health Care Provider of the year – 2015.
This award was presented to the Ogun state-NPH Aro Primary health Care Programme, in recognition of the outstanding service delivery in the field of health care in Nigeria. Global Health Project and Resources
The Health Facility Utilization Award – 2010:
Third position in Health Facility Utilization, tertiary health category. This is considering the 2007-2009 rendered data among tertiary health institutions in Ogun state.
Awarded by the Ministry of Health, Ogun state. Presented on the 29th July 2010.
The Best Specialty Hospital in 2007 Awarded a National Honour as the best Specialty Hospital in Nigeria in 2007. This was awarded by the 50th National Council on Health, Nigeria. This is in recognition of her contribution towards improved health services in Nigeria.
And the Most Outstanding Public Sector Organization – 1999. This is a merit award as the most outstanding public sector organization for the year 1999.
Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Enugu
The Federal NeuroPsychiatric Hospital is an Enugu based Federal neuro phychiatric hospital. It was established in 1962
It offers medical care to the mentally challenged within Enugu and it’s environs.
The hospital is on the list of devoted psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria.
Yaba Psychiatric Hospital
The Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, also known as Yaba Psychiatric Hospital or Yaba Left. It is a Nigerian Federal psychiatric hospital in Yaba, a suburb of Lagos.
Yaba Psychiatric Hospital was established in Lagos in 1907 as Yaba Asylum. Mental health care was provided by medical officers before the emergence of mental health professionals. This includes psychiatrists and psychologists in custodial interventions.
Over the years, this hospital has witnessed four developmental stages. The first stage, (1907 1950) was purely asylum state.
The function of the hospital was custodial i.e. keeping the mentally ill away from the society.
And the second stage (1951 71) witnessed the arrival of qualified psychiatrists, nurses and pharmacist.
There was an outpatient department and it also marked the beginning of Occupational Therapy in the hospital.
The third stage saw the introduction of qualified psychiatrist.
At this time, although buildings were still substandard, treatment then was the best. And the name changed from mental hospital to Psychiatric Hospital. Then finally the fourth stage marked the coming of the first female psychiatrist in Nigeria. She was the medical director of the hospital.
The Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Kaduna
This Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital (FNPH) was established in 1995 along with four (4) other new Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospitals. This was in accordance with the National Mental Health Policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Over the years this hospital has witnessed remarkable transformation that has since elevated FNPH. One of which is the accreditations by the West African College of Physicians. It also had accreditation by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria in 2001.
Under the leadership of Dr T.L Sheikh as Medical Director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Barnawa Kaduna has been transformed. It is an internationally renowned institution in quality service delivery. It is also renowned in training of mental health professionals and, research in mental health and related fields.
Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar
The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar is located at 123, Calabar Road, Cross river.
It is a national and regional mental health resource centre known as one of the apex centre for Psychiatry in Nigeria before.
This more than 104 years old Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Calabar, is in serious need of facilities. It requires these to run as a fully fledged Psychiatric hospital. This is according to The Director, Internal Audit of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Mr. Ibrahim Dauda, in December 2017.
Though the hospital unarguably claim to be the oldest Psychiatric Hospital in Nigeria, established in 1903. But it needs serious modernization to meet up with WHO recommended standard.
Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Benin City (FNPH Benin City)
In 1964, the old Iyekuselu Districk Council Maternity/Dispensary located in Uselu was acquired by the Mid-Western regional government. And the Psychiatric Unit was moved in and named Nervous Disease Clinic, Uselu.
The Nervous Disease Clinic started with the acquired three dilapidated buildings. This gave accommodation to eight (8) in-patients and rendering out-patients services for both psychiatric and physical ailments.
In 1975 this neuro-psychiatric hospital was finally established. This has come to be a hospital for mental medical issues and the mentally challenged.
This hospital is a national and regional mental health resource centre known as one of the apex centre for Psychiatry in Nigeria.
It offers such medical services like Occupational Therapy, Drug Addiction Treatment, Adolescent Mental Health, Physiotherapy and Forensic Psychiatry. There are also, Electroencephalography (EEG), Radio-Diagnostics. This is in addition to its School of Psychiatric Nursing, Clinical Nursing, and Psychiatry Residency Training.
Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Sokoto
The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Kware is a Specialised Service Hospital. It is located at Kware, Sokoto. in Kware local government area of Sokoto State.
Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri
The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to cover the North East Zone. This is comprising of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Taraba, Gombe and Yobe. It is for the treatment and prevention of mental disorders (including) drug abuse and rehabilitation of the mentally ill persons.
Its mandate also includes research and training in the field of Mental Health and Neuroscience.
In addition to the above named psychiatric hospitals, there are psychiatric departments in so many medical centres across Nigeria.
Some private psychiatric facilities in Nigeria.
Brain Plus Specialist Hospital is a private owned hospital, located in Owerri, off Port Harcourt road. It is situated along General Hospital road, opposite Newton Hotel, New Owerri, Imo State. This is a private hospital specialized in Neuropsychiatric cases.
There are also, Tranquil Quest, located at Olokun Aluko, Lekki in Lagos. Also there is Penacea psychiatric hospital, located at Bola Adeniji, Ibadan, Oyo state.
Government psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria Share….