Senators on Wednesday lamented the dearth of the facility to cater for mentally ill Nigerians whose demography has reached 50 million people, about twenty per cent of the population.
The lawmakers said the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) report which made the revelation, was a call for concern and urgent action to boost personnel and facilities to cater for these categories of people.
The Senate debate at plenary was predicated on the “Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment and regulation of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, protect persons with mental health needs and establishment of National Commission for Mental and Substance Abuse Services, for effective Management of Mental Health in Nigeria and for other related matters, 2019.”
It was sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, (Kwara Central) who said the poor handling of these categories of Nigerians need be addressed properly.
He said the bill was designed to provide a unified response to the challenges relating to the delivery of mental health and substance abuse service in Nigeria.
In his lead debate, Senator Oloriegbe said the bill sought to provide enhancement of mental wellbeing of the citizens through programs that promote mental health; prevent mental health and psychosocial disabilities and provide effective, compassionate, humane and universally accessible treatments for mental health and psychosocial disabilities and regulation of mental health substance abuse services.
Also to be addressed by the bill was to protect persons with mental health and psychosocial disabilities needs (from human rights abuse, stigmatisation and discrimination, protect their properties and support their families).
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The bill further sought establishment of National Agency for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for effective management of mental health and psychosocial disabilities and other related matters in Nigeria; ensure that the government and all stakeholders implement the content of the National Policy for Mental Health Care Delivery Services (including integration of mental health and psychosocial services at all levels of health care delivery services).
The bill also sought to criminalise abuse of persons with mental health and psychosocial disabilities in Nigeria, decriminalise substance abuse disorder and increase funding for mental health and psychosocial programs.
Senator Matthew Urhoghide (Edo South) said the number of persons said to have one form of mental illness or then the order was alarming and would require that facility and personnel enhancement to meet the needed care for those who need it.
He pointed out that substances abuse which leads to some cases of mental issues also fuels cultic activities and cultism. He maintained hay the notorious existence of cultism poses danger to the society and should be strong reason enough to boost facility and personnel to cater for these patients.
In his intervention, Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) said the need for proper care of the mentally ill persons and the absence of infrastructure to cater for them have made many families take their mentally sick persons to torture centres as was recently observed in the centres busted in parts of the country.
Arguing his point as he made his contribution to the bill, senator Chimaroke Nnamani said children with mental illness should be factored in the consideration of the bill.
The Senate directed it’s Committee on Health to carry out further legislative action on the bill and report back to plenary in four weeks
and then