Experts urge FG, NASS to decriminalise attempted suicide in Nigeria

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President of the Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria (APN), Professor Taiwo Obindo on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to decriminalise attempted suicide in the country in line with global best practices.

Professor Obindo who led a team of Medical Directors of Neuro-Psychiatric Hospitals in major parts of the country, gave the charge during a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Specialty Healthcare, chaired by Hon. Alex Egbona, chided the Federal Government for failing to establish the Mental Health Department, barely three years after the signing of the Mental Health Act into law since 2021.

“As of today, a suicide attempt is a criminal offence in both the Criminal Act and the Penal Code. Hence, the first step would be a move to decriminalise attempted suicide.

“Significant evidence showed that 90% of those who take their lives through suicide had a background history of Mental Health Conditions; out of which 80% are attributable to depression. Why do we, as a nation, then punish individuals who are ill and need medical attention rather than prosecution?

“It will shock you to know that Nigeria, the giant of Africa, is lagging behind as quite a member of our neighbouring nations have abrogated that law.

“Establishing a counselling centre, without abrogating this archaic law would put, even the counsellors at risk because the law also prescribes penalties for those who are aware of the plan but did not report.”

On the breach of the provisions of the Mental Health Act which was signed into law in 2022, Professor Obindo lamented that a critical component of the law has not been implemented.

“The first step in addressing the many years of neglect of this important aspect of our nationhood is the implementation of the Act!

“One of the requirements of the Act is the establishment of a Mental Health Services Department in the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), it will shock to hear that, more than a year later, the department is yet to be established.

“Most of all the items in your plan are meant to be supervised by this department in obedience to the rule of law! Hence, the establishment of the department is germane to the success of all your plans.”

While noting that suicide and suicide attempts, largely being a clinical diagnosis, he maintained that clinically oriented practitioners should be the core of the staff, who must be well-trained and experienced to identify people at risk and promptly refer them.

In the bid to holistically address the mental health challenges across the country, he called for the establishment of Mental Health Rehabilitation Centers within the Primary Health Care centres across the 360 Federal Constituencies, for people with chronic mental health conditions who need emotional, cognitive, and social skills to live and work productively in their community as independently as possible.

“In line with the Mental Health Act, it is meant to be a community-based intervention and often lasts for many months.

“Establishing them in the Primary Healthcare centres where adequate human and material resources are tacking would not be appropriate. APN will recommend that we follow the Mental Health Act 2021 prescription of making it community-based. The trained staff at the Primary Healthcare centres can then refer identified clients in need of rehabilitation to such centres.

“Alternatively, all Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospitals and Departments of Mental Health/ Psychiatry of Federal Tertiary Health institutions should be further empowered to have standard, well-equipped, and staffed rehabilitation units.

“Modalities to conduct a needs assessment of the full implementation of the Act.”

Earlier in the address, Chairman, House Committee on Specialty Healthcare, Hon. Alex Egbona the Committee was mandated to ensure effective legislative oversight in the health sector and to give maximum attention to specialised health institutions in the country including the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospitals, Orthopaedic Hospitals, Obstetrics Fistula Centres, Blood Transfus on Services, Eye and Ear Care Hospitals, Dental and Oral Health Programmes and Institutions, Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The Committee is also expected to oversight 10 NeuroPsychiatric Hospitals, 6 Orthopaedic Hospitals, 4 Obstetric Fistula Centres, 2 Eyes and Ear Care Centres, 2 Oral Health and Dental Institutions, a College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the National Blood Service Commission and the School of Medical Laboratory.

“Having been fully constituted and inaugurated, the Committee adopted a Work Plan and developed a Legislative Activity Framework based on 5 thematic areas, Mental Health, Trauma and Obstetrics Fistula, Oral Health and ENT, Blood Transfusion and Management, Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

“We are here today as stakeholders taking the first steps in the implementation of the adopted Work Plan to deliberate on ways of enhancing Specialty Health Care delivery in Nigeria through the support and promotion of policy dialogues and improved legislations, regulations and functional systems in the specialised health institutions,” he noted.

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