Psychiatrist urges govt, stakeholders to give more attention to mental health

A Psychiatrist with Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Dr Obitade Sunday, has urged federal and state governments, as well as
other stakeholders in the health sector to give more attention to the issue of mental health.

He made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday.

He said that the issue of mental health should be taken seriously by stakeholders as being done
on HIV treatment.

He added that the government needed to recruit mental health specialists for the mental wellbeing of the nation.

The psychiatrist advised the government to provide integrated national mental healthcare service for people of all ages across the country.

He said “there should be the free treatment of mental illnesses in the country.

“There should be appropriate counselling and excellent care for the mentally challenged and their children.

“Government needs to bridge the gap between mental illness patients and government.”

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Sunday suggested the establishment of mental health units in health facilities, |
saying that psychiatric hospitals should have rehabilitation centres.

He noted that it was incumbent upon society to help young people to develop mental resilience from the earliest age to cope with challenges.

“More than ever before, promoting and protecting adolescents’ health brings benefit not just to them only to the economy and society because healthy adults will be able to make impacts in all facets,” he said.

He called for regular training and retraining of health workers from primary to tertiary healthcare levels in the country. (NAN)
UMD/HA