The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has supported two Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospitals (FNPH) in Nigeria with infrastructural renovation, patients’ rehabilitative and empowerment equipment.
The two FNPH are situated in Kware, Sokoto State and Yaba in Lagos State.
The FNPH Kware Medical Director, Prof. Shehu Sale, disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday in Kware.
Sale said the effort was part of ECOWAS Commission’s pilot support intervention for selected treatment facilities in member-states.
“The Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos and the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Kware, were selected as approved facilities,’’ he said.
The medical director said the gesture was aimed at promoting a public health approach toward addressing substance use for disorders by providing equipment and services.
He said that the substance would enhance treatment and recovery of people with substance use disorders.
“It is based on guided reports of the 2019 ECOWAS Empirical Survey on Substance Use Treatment in member-states and the National Drug Use Survey, ‘’ he added.
Sale, a Master Trainer with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said that the selected facilities duly undertook pre-qualification assessments.
“Before qualifying for the intervention, each facility had conducted a comprehensive needs assessment of the recreational facilities, rehabilitative services and vocational equipment for treatment of substance use disorders,’’ he said.
According to him, ECOWAS Commission has undertaken procurement processes and awarded contracts that included renovation of Drug Addiction Treatment, Education and Research (DATER) ward building, and construction of a lobby for recreational activities.
He said the commission also installed overhead water tanks and pumping machines.
“In the procurement, ECOWAS commission installed Alternative Power Supply (APS), provided empowerment training tools that included industrial sewing machines, hair dressing salon and hair cut equipment, as well as gymnastics items for recreational activities.
“Others items supplied in the DATER ward under the support programme included two sets of table tennis special aluminum, American outdoor tennis board.
“Others are two sets of snooker boards, three sets of monopoly, three sets of ludo, three sets of chess board, three sets of scrabble games.
“Other equipment supplied includes 2.5HP fitness treadmill with body massager and eight Ergometer Stationary Magnetic Exercise Bike, Sale said.
He said that substance use disorder was a pattern of substance use that caused clinically and functionally significant impairment, such as health problems, relationship problems and failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school or home.
The consultant psychiatrist noted that substance use has taken an increasing and disturbing trend in the North, with Sokoto State having the highest rate.
He said that the report showed the strategic location of the hospital in the town that borders Niger Republic.
“This has also led to the influx of individuals with substance use from neighbouring countries, ” Sale added.
He reiterated that this intervention by ECOWAS has strengthen the substance use unit for a better and more comprehensive service and this would curb the increasing trend in the North-West region of Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
Sale commended President Muhammadu Buhari, ECOWAS Commission and Ministers of Health over the effort that would surely enhance productivity in mental health administration.
NAN reports that Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Kware is one of the nine tertiary specialist psychiatric hospitals established in 1996 to attend to the challenges posed by mental health issues.
The hospital provides acute treatment for in-patients, out-patient treatment, psychotherapeutic intervention and
rehabilitation of individuals with sustenance use disorders. (NAN)
