Mental health: Stakeholders call for more funding

Stakeholders at a public hearing, organised by the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee On Health, have urged the government to increase funding of the treatment of persons with mental disorder.
Commending the bill “A Law to Establish the Lagos State Mental Health Service And Provide For The Protection and Care of Persons”, a consultant mental physician, Adesoji Banji, urged the Committee to influence the state government to spend money on mental health.
Banji advised that the state government should sponsor people with schizophrenic mental health challenge, which according to him is expensive and health insurance providers do not cover.
He also observed that the Bill does not notice the influence of the media, especially social media on mental health.
He said: “A lot of people, including comedians stigmatize people with mental health.
They just call people madman anyhow.
They always abuse people on Yaba Left as against people on Yaba Right.
“Nollywood is fond of stigmatizing people with mental health.
They should stop saying that every mental illness is spiritual.” he said Speaking, a Consultant Psychiatrist in the United Kingdom, Olufemi Oluwatayo, stated that the bill is long overdue in Nigeria, adding that the country needs a law to protect the mentally vulnerable people.
He noted that the Bill did not specify who it refers to as people with mental disorder.
He said: “There are different levels of mental disorder.
Homosexuality used to be a mental disorder.
People who take drugs and others could be regarded as people with mental challenge.
“We have to spell it out as there are people with low IQ.
Also, we have to specify who is the nearest relative of a mentally challenged person.” In her comment, a psychiatrist nurse, Princess Ukata, suggested that there should be a nurse on the board proposed in the bill.
Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, Hon.
Akeem Shokunle stated that the public hearing was necessary to have the opinion of the people about the bill.
He stated that it was important to get the contributions of stakeholders about the bill, adding that the state government has the necessary resources to treat people with mental health picked on the streets by the police.
Also, the Speaker of the House, Rt.
Hon.
Mudashiru Obasa, stated that the public hearing would help deepen the legislation, and aid public analysis of the bill.
Representing the Deputy Speaker, Hon.
Wasiu Obasa, EshinlokunSanni, said the Assembly always looked forward to the contributions of the people through public hearings.
The bill permits that police officer above the rank of inspector or officer in-charge of a police station, can take into custody anybody that is found to be suffering from mental disorder and who is found within his jurisdiction.
In addition, the bill provides that female patients in a mental facility shall have separate sleeping accommodation from male patients, and that they shall not be discriminated against with respect to treatment, community care, voluntary and involuntary treatment.
It also guarantees the protection of persons suffering mental disorder in the state, as it will ensures that every person with mental disorder shall have access to mental health care institutions in the state.
Under the proposed law, there would a Governing Board to be known as the Lagos State Mental Service Board, which will comprise the Director of Mental Health Service and four other members appointed from the public or private sectors of the State; one of whom shall be appointed as Chairman of the Board.
The bill also stated that a person in need of treatment for mental disorder may visit directly, with or without referral, a mental health facility for treatment.
Also, where a psychiatrist or head of medical facility is of the opinion that the nature of the mental disorder of a person justifies admission, and that there are adequate facilities for the treatment of the patient, the psychiatrist or head of the medical facility may admit that person as a voluntary patient.