Psychiatry

The Department of Psychiatry started in the middle of January 2013 with the aim of providing a comprehensive mental health care to the catchment population. This is in line with the World Health Organizations (WHO) definition of health, hence 'there is no heath without mental health'. The existence of the department makes the hospital a complete hospital.

In its efforts to improve the quality of service delivery, in 2019 the Hospital Management employed the services of a Consultant Psychiatrics and also trained two (2) Nurses in Post Basic Psychiatry at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Kaduna.
Currently, two (2) clinic sessions are held in a week in addition to home visits sessions as required. There are also provision of five (5) bed spaces for admission of clients requiring such services. It is envisaged that this service will improve by providing a ward to cater for the mental health needs of the catchment population.
In the year 2020, the department had seen approximately 450 patients including the small number admitted in medical ward. This shows a marked increment in patients seen in the years before 2020 when it was only the visiting psychiatrist. For example, in the year 2019, 340 patients were attended.
The hospital also sponsored the training of two (2) additional psychiatric nurses from 2018 to 2020 who recently returned back to FMC Birnin Kudu. The hospital has now four (4) senior psychiatric nurses and two recently trained psychiatric nursing.

On 05/02/2020, the departmental sitting consultant did a hospital presentation (psychiatry and medicine) to create awareness of his presence. This is to facilitate referral from various other departments. In march, 2020 the hospital’s psychiatric consultant had an hour talk at NTA Dutse based on the requirement of the station and the hospital’s approval. The topic was stress disorders, depression and dementia.

Function and activities of the Department
 Treatment of mentally abnormal people on outpatient Visit.
 Treatment of mentally abnormal people by admission.
 Treatment of cool psychoactive substances drug users who are mentally sound.
 Treatment of psychoactive substance drug user with mental abnormality.
 Provision of counseling and psychotherapy to psychoactive drug users without mental abnormality.
 Provision of counseling and psychotherapy to mentally abnormal people who started healing and getting insight into their problems.
 Rehabilitation of chronically mental ill people that get healed before going home.
 In liaison with social welfare department of the hospital, psychiatry department provides social treatment to psychiatric patients.
 The treatment of epileptic and seizure disordered patients.