NEDC partners Neuropsychiatric hospital to improve mental health services in North East.
From right to left: Managing Director NEDC presenting Public Address Systems to Borno state Commissioner for Information and Internal Security Professor Usman Tar at headquarters of the Commission in Maiduguri.
By Dauda Iliya
The North East Development Commission NEDC has promised to strengthen partnership with the Federal Neuropsychiatric hospital Maiduguri to improve mental health services in the region.
Managing Director of the Commission, Alhaji Mohammed Alkali made the promise when he received management of the hospital led by the Medical Director Professor Ibrahim Wakawa in Maiduguri.
According to him, the fourteen years of Boko Haram insurgency has traumatized many people and may impede their ability to live a normal life.
Alkali said the Commission will therefore step up psychosocial support in camps and resettled communities to avoid further complications.
“As we know trauma center is very important in providing the highest level of care for a patient who experienced a traumatic injury during the insurgency, especially, for the Internally Displaced Persons who were previously under the control of non-state armed groups”.
The Managing Director assured to provide all support needed for hospital based on priority in terms of infrastructure, equipment, training and research to ensure effective service delivery to patients.
Medical Director of Maiduguri Federal Neuropsychiatric, Professor Ibrahim Wakawa requested NEDC to provide alternative sources of power due to soaring energy cost, construction solar-powered boreholes, neuro-imaging modern equipment and capacity building for staff to effectively operate the machines.
He explained that, the challenges enumerated are negatively affecting the hospital in providing effective services to the patients.
“We need to have ultra-modern CT scan machine and other equipment that will help us in diagnosing patients” he added.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director NEDC has presented Public Address Systems to Borno state government for onward distribution to all the twenty seven local government areas.
Alhaji Mohammed Akali said the public address system would be distributed to all the 112 local governments in the region to enhance the services of community development officers.
Recieving the items on behalf of the state government, Commissioner for Information and Internal Security Professor Usman Tar thanked the Commission and the Japanese company for the gesture and requested for radio sets and Internet connectivity to facilitate virtual meeting with government personnel at the community level.
The NEDC management has also received the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Yobe State University, Adam Mustapha Goniri, who led a delegation, including the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mala Daura, and the Registrar, Kalli Gazali, on a courtesy visit.
