Drug Abuse: Psychiatric patients flock hospitals in Calabar, Awka

The principal psychologist at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Calabar, Dr Eyo Asuquo, has flayed the upsurge in the number of psychiatric patients arriving at the facility in recent times.

He attributed the trend to increasing abuse of hard drugs such as Tramadol, Nicotine, Cannabis, Indian hemp, as well as high intake of alcohol by victims.

At the last count, no fewer than 93 drug-related patients were accommodated at the seven wards of the hospital.

Asuquo said: “As a result of the increase in the number of patients, an emergency ward was created to receive them. We have seven wards that accommodate different levels of psychiatric disorders. We have a multi-disciplinary approach to their treatment.”

He said they took time to attend to individual cases and discharge those whose conditions got better than when they were admitted.

He also said the rate of recovery differed from one patient to another, depending on the degree of disorder.

He expressed gratitude to the federal government for restoring and re-equipping the facility better than when hoodlums destroyed it during the #EndSARS protest last October.

A source at the hospital said patients are brought in from different parts of the State and beyond.

“Presently, the facility is functioning as it should. Patients are brought in very regularly from parts of the state and outside. Our experts attend to them every working day, except Wednesday,” he disclosed.

Another source said they only received 10 per cent instead of the 40 per cent hazard allowance promised them by the government.

In Anambra State, the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Nawfia, Awka South, has many patients.

A patient, who identified himself as Mike, thanked the hospital management for the care and treatment he received.

He said the journey to the facility was a long one that he did not want to share with anybody.

One of the doctors said the hospital received an average of five patients every week.

He said most of the patients were induced by hard drugs or Indian hemp, advocating that the State government should pay special attention to the hospital.

On the challenges of the hospital, he said it lacks funding and manpower like any other public institution in Nigeria.