Mental Illness Increasing In Calabar – Psychiatrist Cries Out

File photo showing mentally ill persons

 

By Asare Asare (Daily Post)

The principal psychologist at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Calabar, Dr. Eyo Asuquo, has disclosed that there is increasing number of psychiatric patients arriving at their facility in recent times.

In an interview with DAILY POST, he adduced the reason to increasing abuse of hard drugs such as Tramadol, Nicotine, Cannabis, Indian hemp as well as high intake of alcohol by victims.

There are 93 of such patients who are accommodated in the seven wards of the hospital.

Asuquo said: “As a result of the increase in the number of mental cases in Calabar and nearby cities an emergency ward was created to receive them.

“We have seven wards that accommodate different levels of psychiatric disorders. We have multi-disciplinary approach to their treatment.”

Asuquo said they take time to attend to individual cases and do discharge those whose conditions got better than when they were admitted regularly.

He explained that the rates of recovery differ from one patient to another depending on the degree of their disorder but that even as they discharge them frequently, they encourage the inmates to keep to appointments date with them.

He expressed gratitude to the federal government for restoring and re-equipping the facility better than when End SARS protest devastated it last year October.

Another personnel, Ben Osim also disclosed that patients are brought in from all over the state including neighbouring ones.

Exception of Wednesdays, clinics are held every other official working day, said Osim.

“Presently, the facility is functioning as it should be. Patients are brought in very regularly from parts of the state and outside. We have our experts who attend to them every working day except Wednesday.”

Another staff said though the hospital is doing very well but that hazard pay due them approved by government was 40% but only 10% has been paid.

An independent visit to the hospital confirmed the aesthetics and neatness and promptitude of staffers.