Hospital diagnoses 735 patients with mental disorders in North East

Medical Director of Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri, Dr. Ibrahim Wakawa, says 736 patients have been diagnosed with psychotic, depressive and traumatic disorders in the northeast.

He stated this while briefing the Ambassador of Spain, Cabanas Marcelino on the hospital-overcome challenges of “mental health and disorders.”

Wakawa explained that the hospital serves as a hub for referrals on ‘mental health and neuro-psychiatry’ in the states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, that are affected by Boko Haram insurgency.

He said mental health services are currently available in 25 primary health centres, selected across the state in 10 each of general hospitals and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.

He said the hospital was established in 1999 with six other regional psychiatric hospitals to cater for mental health needs of 25 million people.

He further explained that the psychiatric hospitals serve as a hub for training, research and treatment of mental, neuro-psychiatric and substance use disorders in the country.

He said the treatments of mental disorders were formalised through collaborative engagements with the World Health Organisations (WHO) and other migration partners.

On referred patients, he said: “In the last 12 months, 2,630 clients were referred, comprising 1, 431 males and 1, 199 females. Of this figure, 1, 894 were seen on outpatient basis with over 7, 484 follow up visits.

“The remaining 736 clients consisting of 577 males and 159 females were admitted and managed for various mental disorders.”

The medical director attributed mental illness to substance use, depressive, psychotic, anxiety, trauma and stress-related disorders.

Marcelino promised: “We’ll scale up our humanitarian assistance with the support of WHO to overcome the challenges of mental health among victims of conflicts in the northeast.