The Association of Nigerian Physicians in America (ANPA), in collaboration with Amaudo Integrated Community Mental Health Foundation and The Bloom Foundation has held a one day seminar for Psychiatric Nurses, mental health instructors and other caregivers in the mental health care sector in the South East states.
Speaking during the seminar held at the Conference Hall of the Amaudo Integrated Community Mental health foundation,Awolowo street, Umuahia, the Director of the foundation, the Very Rev Kenneth Nwaubani said that the seminar is intended to improve the skills and knowledge of the psychiatric Nurses in various Community Mental health clinics across the state and beyond.
Dr Nwaubani who said that mental health is not given the needed attention like other aspects of health, stressed the urgent need for government to own and implement the recommendations of Dr Ure Lekwauwa on effective partnership with Amaudo Integrated Community Mental health foundation in providing care for the mentally ill destitutes in the state.
“We are grateful to the leader of the delegation Dr Ure Lekwauwa who is a renowned Psychiatrist practicing in the USA and other psychiatrists that came with her who are members of ANPA that are in Abia state to mark their 2024 ANPA health week.
“Mental health is not like other aspects of health that require only one off intervention,follow up may be done by any other health giver, even though, it is not part of their health mission, other psychiatrists who are members of ANPA decided that they organize the seminar that will up-skill the nurses who will take it down to the health clinics in Abia state and Local government areas.
“We are going to follow up the efforts of Dr Ure Lekwauwa who was commissioned by the then administration of Governor T.A. Orji to assess Psychiatric services in Abia state and that was thoroughly done and of course, recommendations were made, which also suggest that if the state government has to invest in mental health,it has to partnereffectively with the Amaudo Integrated Community Mental health foundation.
“Of course that report is still there and there’s need for government to pay greater attention to mental health , “for there’s no health without Mental health.
“So there’s need for government to revisit that report and I know that the administration of Governor Alex Otti being a responsive and health -friendly Government will look into that report and support Amaudo in the free rehabilitation work that it has been providing for the Public for the past 35years leveraging that report”, Very Rev Nwaubani stated.
Dr Ure Lekeauwa
In an interview, a US-based Consultant Psychiatrist, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bloom Foundation Dr. Ure Lekwauwa said that the seminar is an offshoot of their ANPA week which provides opportunity for them to transfer knowledge and expertise to Psychiatric Nurses in Abia and urged Governor Otti to make mental health an integral part of his programme in the health sector.
Dr. Lekwauwa while stating that the foundation has been partnering the Amaudo Integrated Community Mental health foundation in bridging the gap in the mental health sector, noted that the foundation decided to partner Amaudo Integrated Community Mental health foundation because it has a broad and clear Programme on mental health services which also informed why her foundation built, furnished and handed over an ultra modern hostel accommodation to the foundation.
Presenting a paper during the seminar, another US-based Psychiatric Doctor, Nnamdi Madukwe said they are advocates of mental health care services who are interested in interacting and guiding Practitioners on the best approach towards caring for mental health patients.
Dr.Madukwe While dwelling on demencia which is a mental health condition usually found among the Elderly persons, noted that the illness which leads to forgetfulness can be attended to by early detection to delay progression.
