Sokoto Psychiatric Hospital vows to provide excellent, affordable services
The Management of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital (FNPH) Kware, Sokoto State, says the hospital will not waiver in its determination to always provide affordable and excellent services for its patients.
The Chief Medical Director and Chief Executive, Prof. Shehu Sale, stated this on Friday when he received the executive members of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Sokoto State Chapter.
Sale said the hospital currently hosts a total of 17 visiting consultants, who are specialists in different medical fields.
He said there were also resident doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other related health workers that are working together as a team to provide efficient services.
“The hospital has world-class equipment such as mobile digital x-ray machine, mobile ultrasound machine, ultrasonography machine, digitalised medical and diagnostic records system, occupational therapy equipment and modern laboratory tools,” Prof. Sale said.
He disclosed that the Federal Government had also funded new major projects in its COVID-19 interventions at the hospital.
These, he said, included construction and equipping of intensive care unit, construction and equipping of molecular laboratory, construction and equipping of isolation centre and procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
He said the completed projects were already impacting positively on service delivery and protection of both staff and patients of the hospital.
According to him, the projects will also deliver improved healthcare to the hard-to-reach communities, in line with the government’s commitment to the provision of Essential Healthcare Services (EHS).
Sale noted that total bed space and staff strength had been increased, while the restoration of the full accreditation status of the Post-Basic Psychiatric Nursing School at the hospital had taken place.
Besides, he said management renovated and upgraded all wards, administrative blocks and staff quarters in the hospital to modern standards, including the construction of gates, perimeter fence, road networks, street lightings, laboratories and pharmacy.
He explained that the hospital provided integrated healthcare services to the people, through digitalised finance and administrative record system, along with a steady solar-powered and conventional electricity supply.
He said the Federal Government had awarded another contract for the construction of the Regional Women and Children Drug Dependence Treatment Centre in the hospital, which would cater for the diverse health needs of the vulnerable sub-population.
He added that the centre, along with the established family health clinic would address the negative perception of people with regards to mental health issues and reduce stigma, associated with hospital services.
Sale, a master trainer with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), expressed optimism that the clinics would strengthen mental healthcare delivery in the country, noting that the stigma associated with mental health discouraged people from seeking help.
Sale, a Consultant Psychiatrist, commended the Minister of State for Health, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora, for his support towards achieving successes in the hospital.
He added that the centre, along with the established family health clinic, would address the negative perception of people with regards to mental health issues and reduce the stigma associated with hospital services.
Responding, State NUJ Chairman, Mr Dalhatu Safiyalmagori, commended Sale over the progress recorded in the hospital, especially in terms of the upgrade of existing facilities and consolidation of skilled manpower development.
The NUJ chairman explained that the visit was to introduce the newly elected union executive members in the state and to physically inspect projects and services in the hospital. (NAN)
