The Ondo state government has raised concern on the level of increasing involvement of youth in abuse of drugs and other dangerous chemicals at the detriment of their health.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Awolowo Ajaka lamented that this had led to many issue of psychiatric cases and related matters.
He stated this when he paid an unscheduled visit to the state Neuro Psychiatric hospital in Akure, Ondo state capital.
He noted that the facility should be put in proper shape to attend to the need of patients and the society.
Ajaka informed that the facility was beyond referring to it as home for mad people, adding that people including important personalities need the place to attend to their mental health cases.
Charging the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the facility, Dr. Akinwumi Akinnuoye to present the challenges of the facility to appropriate quarter in order to bring improvement to it.
Responding, CMD Akinnuoye expressed appreciation to the clinical workers of the facility, who according to him have been up and doing to ensure service delivery in the facility progress.
Speaking on the challenges, he said that there has been encroachment of the facility’s land noting that inability to get back the land will hinder standardisation of practice in the facility.
While calling for expansion, he revealed that there has been tremendous increase in patronage in the last few days due to rise in cases of mental health in the country adding that the issue of aggression in patients has become a major concern.