Health
A Consultant Psychiatrist, Prof. Taiwo Sheikh, on Friday called on government at all levels, non-governmental organisations and the private sector to really consider mental health as a priority.
Sheikh, the immediate past president of Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria (APN) made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said there is need for serious investments in mental health care because to avoid crisis.
Sheikh said that governments should pay attention to mental health of the citizens by ensuring the availability of quality mental health facilities and services.
He decried the poor state of the few existing psychiatric hospitals/facilities and urged government at all levels to intensify more efforts towards the establishment of more psychiatric hospitals across the country.
“When you look at mental health programming within Nigeria, traditionally like anywhere else in the world, it has been poorly funded over the years.
“Most states in the country do not have a functional psychiatric hospital, while our few existing psychiatric hospitals are dilapidated, and we have very few specialised cadres,” he said.
Sheikh said that the establishment of more psychiatric hospitals became necessary due to the increasing cases of mental illness in the country as the mental health facilities available were inadequate to cater for the rising cases.
The psychiatrist attributed the rising cases of mental illness to drug abuse, stress, economic downturn, unemployment, inadequate finances, depression and effects of COVID-19 pandemic.
He decried the majority of the health care institutions in the country who paid less attention to mental illness cases.
According to him, mental health services are barely accessible outside the state capitals, adding that there is urgent need to establish mental healthcare facilities at the grassroots.
He said, “Example is the lower funding for mental illness research or fewer mental health services relative to other health care services.
“Look around, we have got over 50 government hospitals looking after pregnant women. We have thousands of private hospitals and maternal homes for women and children.
“But, how many mental health facilities are in Nigeria with a population of over 217 million people? They are very few; even most states in the country do not have a functional psychiatric hospital,’’ he said.
The professor said that government may not be able to do enough in tackling the menace of mental health because it does not have enough resources for that.
“While the government is doing what it can, the private sector, non-governmental organisations, and individuals must come together to address the treatment gap in mental health and provide facilities for those who need treatment before they fall into wrong hands.
He appealed that people living with mental health conditions have continued access to treatment and care.
“A failure to take people’s mental and emotional wellbeing seriously will lead to long-term social and economic costs to society,” Sheikh said. (NAN)
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Tags: Covid-19 mental health Prof. Taiwo Sheikh
