Delta govt moves to establish first neuropsychiatric facility

Delta State Government has commenced moves to establish the state’s first neuropsychiatric facility and a state-of-the-art public health laboratory amid rising cases of drug abuse and growing mental health challenges.

The two projects are expected to be completed by March 2027, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme, has disclosed.

Speaking with newsmen in Asaba, Onojaeme said the projects were part of the government’s efforts to address identified gaps in the state’s healthcare system and improve access to specialised medical services.

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He said the projects followed a comprehensive needs assessment conducted by the state government shortly after Governor Sheriff Oborevwori assumed office in 2023.

According to him, the assessment identified the absence of a dedicated neuropsychiatric facility and a specialised public health laboratory as critical gaps requiring urgent intervention.

Onojaeme explained that residents requiring psychiatric care had, over the years, been forced to travel outside the state, particularly to Port Harcourt and Benin, to access specialised treatment.

He said the situation had become increasingly worrisome amid rising cases of drug abuse and its associated consequences.

The commissioner said the government was therefore establishing the neuropsychiatric facility to provide specialised mental healthcare closer to residents and reduce the hardship and cost associated with seeking treatment outside the state.

On the public health laboratory, Onojaeme said work was ongoing on a facility designed to strengthen the state’s capacity to conduct specialised tests and respond more effectively to infectious disease outbreaks.

He recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic and other disease outbreaks, samples collected in Delta were often transported to specialised laboratories in Irrua, Abuja and Lagos for analysis, sometimes resulting in delays in obtaining test results.

The commissioner warned that such delays could have serious implications during disease outbreaks, stressing that the new laboratory would enable the state to conduct specialised investigations locally.

“With a Lassa fever outbreak, we no longer need to send our samples to other states to analyse and bring back. That will be done in Delta State,” he said.

According to him, the laboratory would be equipped with modern diagnostic technology, including Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machines, to facilitate testing for infectious diseases.

He added that the facility was being developed in line with the standards of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), with the aim of ensuring that its test results and analyses meet acceptable standards.

Onojaeme said he recently inspected the laboratory to assess the progress of work, expressing confidence that the facility would be completed by March 2027.

The commissioner said the two projects represented significant investments in the state’s healthcare infrastructure and would enhance the government’s capacity to provide specialised medical services and respond promptly to public health emergencies.