Sen. Ibrahim Gobir (APC-Sokoto), has urged the Federal Government to strengthen psychiatric facilities in the country, to ensure desirable impact in the administration of mental health.
Gobir, who represents Sokoto East Senatorial District and is the Chairman Senate Committee on Intelligence and Security, made the call on Tuesday when he visited Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital (FNPH) Kware in Sokoto State.
He assured that legislators from the state in the National Assembly will push for more support for the hospital and others, to enhance access to mental health services in the country.
The Senator expressed satisfaction with the state of facilities and good managerial leadership of Dr Shehu Sale, who had transformed the hospital, offering top class modern standard services to mental health patients.
“I am delighted with the level of development so far recorded in the hospital under the leadership of able Board Chairman Dr Iheanyi Nwachuku and Medical Director, Dr Shehu Sale.
“I am overwhelmed with the modern state of the art equipment, manpower and infrastructural facilities in the hospital.
“This has demonstrated Dr Sale’s commitment to the development of the hospital and the speciality which will surely translate to enhanced productivity and efficient services to the population as well as overall development of mental health,” Gobir said.
“Kware Hospital has good hands, modern tools and facilities besides being the cheapest in the country,” he added.
Responding, Sale commended Sen. Gobir for the visit, which he said had demonstrated his concern on its progress and urged him to use his position in facilitating more development in the hospital.
The medical director disclosed that Sen. Aliyu Wamakko and Rep. Ahmad Kalambaina had facilitated infrastructural projects in the hospital through their constituency projects.
“FNPH Kware is fully accredited with Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and met the requirements of specialty training of medical doctors across the country besides running School of Post Basic Nursing in Psychiatry,” Sale said.
The medical director commended the Federal Government for supporting the hospital and appealed for release of appropriated funds to the hospital.
Sale, an Associate Professor and a Master Trainer of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), called on people with mental health issues to access the facility and cautioned them against alternative unaorthodox therapy or patronising unprofessional healers.
The medical director, who is also a Consultant Psychiatrist, added that accessing mental health at early stage would help to solve the problem on time.
He decried that mental health had not been given adequate attention globally compared to other areas such as HIV/AIDS and Malaria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Sale along with other Directors took the Senator round the hospital wards and departments.(NAN)
