Neuropsychiatric hospital Nigeria -The medical director of Federal Neuropsychiatric hospital in Kaduna state, Dr. Taiwo Sheikh has lamented over inadequate funding by the federal government saying it is challenge to solicit for funds to treat patients with mental disorder. Speaking in an interview at the 2nd annual workshop organised by School of Post Basic Psychiatric Nursing, he noted that it is extremely difficult for patients to afford mental health care treatment saying that about 95% of patients who come to seek treatment at the hospital cannot afford treatment but are sponsored by other people which makes it difficult for them to charge.

"It is difficult to effectively treat patients in terms of getting the right drugs for them at the right price because they cannot afford it," he stressed.

He explained that the hospital has three mandates which include service provision, training and research saying "Government has not made provision for free mental health care treatment for patients with mental disorder and we don't have a subhead in our budget for training and research so we make use of our meager overhead and also charge some people to pay some money for us to be able to contribute our quota towards building capacity and research," he lamented.

He emphasized that no programme can be effectively implemented without conducting research to know the number of people who need the service, and what kind of service to provide.

Dr. Sheikh called on all levels of government to prioritize mental health stressing that mental health is total health.

Dr. Sheikh also disclosed that they have concluded arrangements to commence neuropsychiatric services at general hospitals especially at the grass root noting that it will reduce stigmatisation because people usually have difficulty in going to a mental health hospital because of what people will call them.

"Our intention is to take psychiatric out of just one hospital to the community level because we realized that it is cheaper, more accessible and more effective and by the time we involve all the community stakeholders, it will be more acceptable because by the time we take mental health care to their doorsteps, we will be able to remove the inhibition."

Kaduna State commissioner for health, Turaki Z. Kalik during his opening remark said that the workshop tagged "Community mental healthcare, prospects and challenges" came at the right time when the state is making concerted effort to raise the health status of its citizens while he urged participants to avail themselves to bring about positive change in the health sector.

Christiana T. Alabi

Daily Trust/04/10/2011