Respite has come the way of residents of Karu in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs as the Karu General Hospital commenced rendering services to patients with psychological and behavioural challenges in the area.
This is coming on the heels of the much awaited take-off of the Hospital, which finally took off on 2nd October, 2014, with the commencement of special clinical services at its Behavioural Medicine Unit, thereby saving persons seeking health care the stress of having to travel to places like Nyanya, Asokoro, Maitama and Wuse.
According to the Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS), Dr. Demola Onakomaiya, who made this known when he paid a visit to the Hospital, since the opening of the facility, which marked the commencement of services to patients with psychological and behavioural challenges, a total of 69 patients have been admitted for diagnoses and treatment.
He noted that the era of referring patients with such special challenges to Kaduna Psychiatric Hospital was over as the Karu Specialist Hospital has both human and material resources to diagnose and treat different forms of psychological and behavioural challenges.
A statement made available by Head, Public Relation Unit of the Secretariat, Badaru Yakasai, further disclosed that the Hospital has a dedicated the building for behavioural medicine, which the Secretary said is the only one of its kind in the whole of the Middle Belt of Nigeria.
Specifically, Dr. Onakomaiya, said the Behavioural Medicine Unit of the Hospital is equipped with the state of the art equipment including Electro Encephaco Grain (EEG) Machine, Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) Machine and Laboratory Equipment in addition to good satellite Pharmacy that is stocked with specialized drugs and has a number of specialists including four Consultants, One Senior Registrar, senior Medical Officers and other support staff.
He added that behavioural services in FCT Administration’s hospitals have now been centralized as the Units formerly rendering such services in Asokoro, Kubwa and Wuse Hospitals have been closed down, except that Wuse still provides out-patient clinics two days in a week.
This, according to him, will create more room for other services in those sister hospitals.
The Secretary therefore assured residents of the FCT that the FCT Administration under the leadership of Sen. Bala Mohammed will do everything possible to ensure that other Departments of the Hospital commence Clinical services soon.
