The management of Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, says it will preach mental wellbeing to more people and improve healthcare services to Nigerians in 2018.
Dr Oluyemi Ogun, the hospital Medical Director, spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Ogun said: “Many people are still not aware of mental wellbeing and are still attributing mental disorders to spirituality, thereby stigmatising people with mental illness.
“Cultural belief is still a major challenge in the practice of psychiatry in Nigeria and this is due to ignorance by the people.
“That is why we will create more awareness about mental health in 2018, hoping that more people will be aware and seek help at the appropriate place to get treatment. `he said that the hospital also planned to improve on researches and make research funds available to enable the hospital staff to improve researches at the hospital.
“We are hoping for more collaboration with institutions, both locally and internationally.
“This will help the hospital to improve on services that will be beneficial for both the staff and patients,’’ Ogun said.
She said the hospital would ensure that patient care was given priority as much as possible.
According to her, there will be more training and re-training of health professionals in the hospital and ensure that doctors have comfortable offices to attend to the patients.
“We intend to expand the out-patient clinic, because many our medical officers do not have comfortable offices to consult with the patients.
“If health professionals are comfortable, then it will translate to giving better services to the people.
“So, we intend to make sure that patient’s care is taking seriously as much as possible, “ she said. (NAN)
