Through the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, the federal government says plans have been concluded to make treatment and education on mental health more accessible to rural residents in the South-East.

The hospital’s medical director, Monday Igwe, disclosed this in Enugu on Thursday.

Mr Igwe said the new paradigm shift in mental health treatment and education would be delivered through robust advocacy and sensitisation at 15 rural mental healthcare centres (outposts) in the South-East.

He explained that through the hospital, the government would activate one outpost in each of the 15 senatorial zones in the South-East to improve access to mental healthcare for rural people.

According to him, mental health centres will be of tremendous benefit, as they will help increase access to care and well-being of mentally challenged persons.

“There will be improved access to mental, neurological, and drug use care for communities as they depend heavily on community mental health services. The proximity of the services to the people also reduces the potential barrier posed by the additional expense of transportation,” stated the neuropsychiatric hospital chief.

He added, “The mental health centres being in the communities and community members working within it and getting involved in treating their own people would lower stigma and discrimination while increasing acceptability after treatment.

The medical director noted that the hospital planned to initiate robust advocacy and sensitisation at the rural and community levels against drug/substance abuse and empathy for mentally challenged persons, especially among youth.

He also mentioned that the hospital had concluded arrangements to have regular media programmes to educate people against substance abuse, not only waiting until World Drug Day, adding that this would depend on a partnership with the media services like TV or radio stations.

(NAN)