Lara Adejoro
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa on Thursday said the Federal Government is working on an executive order to rename all Federal Neuro-Psychiatric facilities as Specialty hospitals.
Alausa disclosed this on his X handle on Thursday.
He said the goal of the order is to ensure that Nigerians receive care in the facilities without judgment or stigma.
He posted, “When I began my role as Minister of State for Health & Social Welfare, I requested presentations from the Chief Medical Directors of all Federal Tertiary Hospitals to gain a comprehensive understanding of their services, capacity, and infrastructure.
“During these presentations, a few hospitals stood out, including the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Kaduna. In line with Pillar 1 (Improving Governance) of our four-point agenda, I travelled to Kaduna this week to commission FNPH Kaduna’s Electronic Health Record Office and Alternative Power Supply, and to witness firsthand the achievements of Dr. Aishatu Yusha’u Armiya’u CMD of FNPH Kaduna, over the past two years.
“I was impressed by the remarkable progress the hospital has made under Dr. Armiya’u’s leadership. Her ability to effectively utilise and maximise funds has greatly improved hospital operations, staff management, and patient care, providing a sense of normalcy for patients both during and after their treatment. It was truly inspiring. FNPH Kaduna is well on its way to becoming a center of excellence. I encourage all CMDs to follow Dr. Armiya’u’s example.
“Given the stigma often associated with psychiatric hospitals, the Federal Government is working on an executive order to rename all FNPH facilities as Specialty Hospitals. Our goal is to ensure that Nigerians receive care in these facilities without judgment or stigma.
“I extend my thanks to Dr. Aishatu Yusha’u Armiya’u and her team for their warm welcome and commend her for her outstanding leadership.”
Meanwhile, attempted suicide is still criminalised in Nigeria.
The Criminal Code Section 327 states that: “Any person who attempts to kill himself is guilty of a misdemeanour, and is liable to imprisonment for one year.”
Similarly, section 231 of the Penal Code states that: “Whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or with both.”
Medical experts say studies show that those who attempt to take their lives have mental illnesses, and it is unjust to punish them instead of caring for them. Hence, the need to decriminalise attempted suicide in the country.
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: healthwise@punchng.com
The post Psychiatrist hospitals to become specialty facilities, says FG appeared first on Healthwise.