A professor of psychiatry, Prof. Taiwo Sheikh, on Friday in Lagos urged the Lagos State Government to convert its Psychiatric Hospital to a mental health institute.

Sheikh, also the immediate past President, of the Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria (APN) said this in an interview with newsmen.

He told newsmen that the conversion would boost strides made in providing state-of-the-art mental facilities in the state.

He also commended the state government for the strides made in providing a state-of-the-art mental health facility in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, had expressed the government’s resolve would complete its 500-bed psychiatric hospital and rehabilitation centre in Ketu, Ejirin Local Council Development Area.

According to the Commissioner, the second phase of the project will be a 1000-bed psychiatric hospital and rehabilitation centre to further address the mental health issues in Lagos state.

Sheikh, who commended the government’s efforts, said that more attention should be given to the mental health of the people so as to reduce social crises in the country.

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“The project is quite commendable; Lagos State is paying a lot of attention to mental health.

“They are actually leading the way in Nigeria today. They are far ahead of other states in terms of what they are doing in mental health”, he said.

According to him, the state has the most modern mental health law among all the states in Nigeria.

He said the state had also updated its mental health service delivery policy; which are two principal governance structures for the mental health system.

“So we commend Lagos State for what they are doing; they are putting in place things that will enhance sustainable mental healthcare delivery for Lagos residents and Nigerians as a whole,” he said.

He urged the state government to make the psychiatric hospital and rehabilitation centre a research and training hub for mental health experts across the nation.

Sheikh, who is a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, also called for a change in the name, psychiatric facilities, to “Institute for Mental Health” to avoid stigma.

“We need an Institute for mental health which will not just be there to provide all psychiatric services but also be providing other healthcare services.

“The institute will be a hub where people will be coming to have mental health research and training on various aspects of mental health, it will also be a place where one can have on-the-job training and refresher courses.

“Even nurses and doctors from other medical fields including other parts of the world will be going there for research, training and alike.

“So let the government convert the hospital from a mere psychiatric hospital to ‘modern institute of mental health’ for all”, he said.

He said the implication of this would be that health experts like histopathologists, mini-surgery, occupational therapists, physicians, laboratory scientists, among others would be available to render their services.

According to him, when the psychiatric hospital is established alone; that makes it look archaic and people will begin to disassociate themselves from it; creating room for stigmatisation.

“Globally today, the best practice for mental health is the integration of mental healthcare service into all levels of healthcare delivery.

“This is a community, primary, secondary healthcare levels like General Hospitals or private clinics and tertiary healthcare level like Teaching Hospitals.

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“For instance, if a person that has mental health illness develops typhoid or malaria fever, such patient will be deprived access to typhoid medication simply because other health services were not integrated into the psychiatric hospital where he or she is admitted.

“That is why we are discouraging the establishment of “standalone psychiatric hospitals,” Sheikh said.