The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has inaugurated a newly upgraded Neuropsychiatric Hospital and a brand-new General Hospital in Rumuigbo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
The two projects, unveiled, are aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery in the state and expanding access to specialised mental health and general medical services.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Thursday, Fubara said the decision to upgrade the neuropsychiatric facility followed his inspection of the old mental health centre and rehabilitation facility.
According to him, the Hospital Management Board had commenced the rehabilitation centre with limited overhead funds, but he directed that the entire facility be rebuilt, modernised and upgraded to meet contemporary standards.
Fubara recalled that the Neuropsychiatric Hospital was conceived in 1970 and inaugurated in 1977 with a 50-bed capacity.
He, however, said the facility had deteriorated over the years and had become vulnerable to illicit activities, including alleged drug trafficking.
The governor said the upgraded facility was now properly fenced and secured, adding that the development would help curb criminal activities within the premises.
He said the remodelled hospital now has a 100-bed rehabilitation centre for people dealing with mental health and substance abuse challenges.
Fubara noted that mental health problems could be associated with unemployment, depression and other psychological pressures, stressing that the state needed facilities capable of responding to the realities of modern society.
The governor also said the new General Hospital was built to address the healthcare needs of residents of Obio/Akpor, one of the largest local government areas in Rivers State.
He explained that residents previously depended largely on primary healthcare centres or travelled to tertiary institutions such as the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and Braithwaite Memorial Hospital for higher levels of care.
Fubara said the new General Hospital would enable residents to receive treatment closer to home, while cases requiring specialised attention would be referred to tertiary healthcare institutions.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, said the General Hospital was equipped with Accident and Emergency services, consulting rooms, a pharmacy, laboratory, X-ray rooms, delivery room, maternity, postnatal and antenatal wards.
He added that the facility also has an operating theatre, surgery recovery room, Central Sterilising Services Department, Intensive Care Unit, Newborn Intensive Care Unit, paediatric wards, male and female general wards with 50 beds each, private wards and administrative offices.
According to him, the Neuropsychiatric Hospital has consulting rooms, a pharmacy, laboratory, male and female 50-bed wards, a substance and drug-abuse rehabilitation centre, private wards, recreational spaces and a meeting hall.
The facility also has an electroconvulsive therapy centre, ICT centre, canteen, mortuary, generator house, internal road networks and landscaping, as well as a 216-bed students’ hostel and staff quarters comprising 12 two-bedroom apartments.
Wachukwu said both hospitals had been equipped with modern medical equipment and provided with new ambulances.
The Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, Dr Gift Worlu, commended the governor for prioritising healthcare and executing the projects, saying the upgraded neuropsychiatric facility would help address mental health challenges in the area.
The outgoing President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, who served as Special Guest of Honour, also commended the state government for investing in healthcare.
Osigwe particularly urged members of the public to stop stigmatising people seeking mental healthcare, noting that mental health treatment covered conditions such as stress, depression and personal crises and was not limited to severe psychiatric disorders.
Fubara, while appealing to the local government council and the host community to protect the facilities from vandalism and theft, said his administration remained committed to improving education, healthcare and housing across the state.
The governor urged residents to regard the projects as community assets and take ownership of them for the benefit of present and future generations.