The Rivers State Government has commissioned a newly upgraded Neuropsychiatric Hospital and a newly constructed General Hospital in Rumuigbo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who commissioned the facilities, said the decision to modernise the hospitals followed an inspection of the old mental health facility, during which he observed the need for comprehensive rehabilitation and upgrading.
Governor Fubara explained that “the Hospital Management Board had initially invited him to inspect a rehabilitation centre being constructed with limited funds.”
According to him, “the inspection prompted him to order the total rebuilding and upgrading of the facility to meet modern standards.”
“It was there and then that I said: Look, we have this very big compound, we need to rebuild, modernise and upgrade the standard of this Neuropsychiatric Hospital and that day, we started this journey,” Fubara said.
The Governor recalled that the Neuropsychiatric Hospital was established in 1970 and commissioned in 1977 with an initial capacity of 50 beds.
He expressed concern over the previous condition of the premises, alleging that “the facility had become a centre for drug trafficking and other illicit activities.”
Govenror Fubara disclosed that the upgraded facility now has a 100-bed rehabilitation centre for people battling mental health conditions and substance abuse.
“Even in developed countries, they send people to rehabilitation centres and they help bring you back to normalcy. So, what we have done here is to prepare for the challenges of our time,” he stated.
On the newly constructed General Hospital, the Governor said Obio/Akpor, one of the largest local government areas in the state, deserved a standard secondary healthcare facility beyond Primary Healthcare Centres.
“We discovered that the only health services around here are the Primary Healthcare Centres. Tertiary healthcare can only be gotten if you go to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital or the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital. We felt that Obio/Akpor deserves a General Hospital,” Governor Fubara said.
The Governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to education, healthcare and housing, describing the three sectors as critical pillars of a functional society.
The Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr. Gift Worlu, commended the Governor for prioritising healthcare development.
The outgoing President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, also urged the public to end the stigmatisation of people seeking mental healthcare.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr. Vincent Wachukwu, said the General Hospital has Accident and Emergency services, consulting rooms, a pharmacy, laboratory, X-ray rooms, maternity facilities, an operating theatre, an intensive care unit, paediatric wards, and male and female wards.
He added that the Neuropsychiatric Hospital has consulting rooms, a pharmacy, laboratory, male and female wards, rehabilitation facilities, private wards, recreational spaces, an electroconvulsive therapy centre and other support facilities.
