Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers has ordered the immediate rehabilitation of the state’s psychiatric hospital in Rumuigbo in Obio Akpor Local Government Area.

He gave the directive when he inspected the ongoing building of a 44-bed space centre for drug addicts, with another 10-bed space for private patients in the hospital on Thursday.

The governor said the rehabilitation work should commence immediately, pointing out the importance of the health facility to persons with mental health disorder and medical students in the state, who use the facility for their training.

He said “on my way, I noticed that the Psychiatric Hospital I knew many years ago, is still what it is. I think we need to do total rehabilitation of the facility to enable it to meet standard.

“I am directing the commissioner for health to commence the processes for total rehabilitation of the entire facility so that it will meet the needs of our people.”

Mr Fubara also commended the commissioner for health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, for efforts in the rehabilitation of the hospital and announced that the state government would take over the project and increase the bed space to accommodate more patients.

“What you are doing here already with the internally generated revenue is good, but we have to double it,” he told the commissioner.

He added that “we are taking over the project and increasing the bed space to about 100 for a start.”

(NAN)