Psychiatric nurses berate NASS for non-passage of mental health bill

Psychiatric nurses and doctors under the auspices of Association of Psychiatric Nurses of Nigeria and Nigeria Medical Association have berated the National Assembly over non-passage of medical health bill pending in the National Assembly since 1980s, saying the action is abnormally contributing to undue discrimination against patients.

The nurses working with Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro in Abeokuta, who organised a lecture to mark 2016 world mental health day on Monday, said that 31% of ailments that affect people in the world are mentally and psychologically-related and require urgent and cogent attention to prevent their increase.

Also, the Nigeria Medical Association, Kwara State branch, speaking in Ilorin in commemoration of world mental health day through its chairman, Kunle Olawepo, urged government at all levels to support the passage of the bill aimed at improving mental health in the country.
Speaking at the lecture in Abeokuta with the theme “dignity in mental health-psychological and mental first aid”, Oluseun Ogunnubi said the mental law that operates in Nigeria is an “archaic lunacy law” which has been in use since the early 80s.
The psychiatrist, who wants government to emphasise the employment of psychological first aid for victims of disasters in order to mitigate traumatic experience which could result into lunacy, called on members of the national assembly to pass comprehensive mental health bill to create room for the protection of the rights of mental health patients.

He said, “thousands of mentally-ill people are deprived of their rights, suffer from discrimination and stigmatisation, adding that 78% Nigerians would be upset working with people with mental ailment while 83% won’t relate with relatives suffering from this disease.
“Even neuropsychiatric doctors and nurses are not spared of this stigma. This mental health bill in Nigeria has been at the NASS since the 80s, we even refer to it as ‘orphan’ bill as no one is ready to sponsor it. Unless this bill is passed into law like Ghana did two years ago, the mental health patients will continue to suffer this social stigma”.

Chairman of the Association of Psychiatric Nurses of Nigeria, Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro Unit, Olaifa Felicia Abosede said the event was organised to bring attention to mental illness and its major effects on people’s lives.
On his part, chairman of Nigeria Medical Association, Kwara State, called for drastic reduction of cost of treatment for people that suffer chronic mental illnesses, urging non-governmental organisations to collaborate with mental health stakeholders to support the government in implementing mental health policy.

Olawepo, however, solicited support from Nigerians at home and in diaspora for people with mental health issues in terms of care and de-stigmatisation, just as he advised managements of public and private, print and electronic media to shun negative portrayal of people with mental disorders in the country.
 

RAZAQ AYINLA & SIKIRAT SHEHU