Yaba hospital admits 727 psychiatric patients in 2019

The Medical Director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba (FNPHY), Lagos, Dr Oluwayemi Ogun, on Wednesday said the hospital admitted a total of 727 psychiatric patients this year.

Ogun, made the disclosure at the hospital’s 2019 Presentation of the Medical Director Score Card in Lagos.

She said the 727 admitted psychiatric patients was in contrast to the 720 patients admitted in 2018, representing one per cent increase.

The Medical Director said that a total of 61,154 patients visited the hospital in 2019 (comprising both outgoing and admitted patients), compared to 40,502 patients in 2018, representing 51% increase.

According to her, the number of psychiatric patients under observation rose from 89 patients in 2018 to 262 patients in 2019, which represents 194 per cent increase.

Ogun said investigations showed that 294 psychiatric cases were caused by drug abuse in 2019, in contrast to 235 cases in 2018, representing 25 per cent increase.

She said that the hospital recorded 450 per cent increase of deaths, as a total of 11 patients died within the year under review, when compared to two dead psychiatric patients recorded in 2018.

She explained that the hospital had requested for more psychiatric doctors the Civil Service Commission as resident doctors of the hospital embarked on one month strike in August this year due to shortage of doctors.

“Presently, the hospital has a total of 67 doctors which comprises of 21 consultant psychiatrists, one family physician, 28 resident doctors, eight locum residents doctors and nine corp members.

“In its desire to propagate mental awareness to the grassroots, the hospital in conjunction with BellaVista Development Institute, opened an outreach centre in August 2019 at Badore Ajah, Lagos,” she said.

On the way forward for 2020, Ogun said the hospital management hoped to intensify public/private partnership efforts towards the maintenance of all hospital structures, roads, kerbs and drainages.

She, however, said there was need for the hospital to start operating with electronic medical record system, which she said would not only boost mental health delivery in Nigeria but would also enhance productivity of the hospital.

According to her, efforts will be made in the coming year to drive the internally generated revenue of the hospital towards sustainability and profitability.

“In 2020, it is the wish of the hospital to commence Electronic Health Record System. It is believed that this will reduce waiting time spent to acquire health care services in the hospital.

“The hospital, however, hopes for an increase in allocation of fund by the Federal Government,” she added.