The Rivers State Government has commissioned the newly upgraded Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital and a General Hospital built within the Neuro-Psychiatric complex in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, expanding access to modern healthcare services in the state.
The commissioning was performed by the outgoing NBA President, Afam Osigwe, who is currently leading the Association’s 66th Conference in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, conceived in 1970 and commissioned in 1977 with about 50 beds, has now been transformed into a modern 100-bed rehabilitation centre equipped to provide improved care for mental health patients.
Speaking at the ceremony on Thursday, Governor Siminalayi Fubara said the reconstruction and upgrade of the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital was conceived as a response to the growing challenge of drug abuse and the need to provide proper rehabilitation for affected persons in the state.
The governor said he was prompted to intervene after observing the difficulty faced by the hospital management in building a rehabilitation centre from its limited overhead resources.
He said the hospital, conceived in 1970 and commissioned in 1977 with about 50 bed spaces, had over the years become inadequate for the needs of the growing population.
According to him, the facility had even become a haven for the trafficking of drugs to inmates, making its rehabilitation more urgent.
He said the new rehabilitation centre now has 100 beds and was built to modern standards, with facilities capable of providing improved care and rehabilitation for patients.
Speaking on the General Hospital component, Governor Fubara said the project was driven by the need to provide higher-level medical services to the densely populated local government area, which had previously depended largely on primary healthcare centres.
He said the ultimate objective was to ensure that Rivers people have access to quality healthcare and remain healthy and productive.
Fubara said his administration had prioritised education, healthcare and housing, stressing that the government was doing its best to deliver on these key areas of development.
Before the commissioning, Osigwe commended Fubara’s attention to a neglected aspect of healthcare.
Also speaking at the event, the Chief Medical Director, Hospital Management Board, Bright Ogbonda, said the improved medical facilities across the state have restored public confidence in the hospitals and significantly increased patronage, with the number of patients now exceeding the available staff strength despite the employment of 2,000 health workers by the Fubara administration two years ago.
Speaking for the Rivers State Ministry of Health, the Permanent Secretary, Vincent Wachukeu, said the project and the medical equipment installed at the facilities are among the best available globally.
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