Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has commissioned a refurbished neuropsychiatric hospital and a newly constructed general hospital in Rumuigbo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
The two healthcare projects were formally opened on Tuesday as part of the state government’s efforts to improve access to medical services and expand healthcare infrastructure.
Fubara said the decision to upgrade the neuropsychiatric facility followed an inspection of the old structure, which he described as inadequate for the needs of the people.
According to him, the Hospital Management Board had initially invited him to inspect a rehabilitation centre being developed with limited funds. The visit, however, prompted him to order a complete transformation of the facility.
“It was there and then that I said: Look, we have this very big compound, we need to rebuild, modernise and upgrade the standard of this Neuropsychiatric Hospital and that day, we started this journey,” Fubara said.
The governor said the institution dates back to 1970 and was formally opened in 1977 with an initial capacity of 50 beds. He also recalled the contribution of the late Martins Yellowe, one of the early doctors who managed the hospital and later served as a senator.
Fubara said the facility had previously suffered from serious security problems and had become associated with illegal drug activities.
“This place was a drug trafficking centre. We keep people in the rehabilitation centre, but some of our people innocently come here to play football while others are carrying bags to sell drugs to the inmates.
“But with what we have done today, I believe that the environment is secured, well-fenced, and if you must enter here, you must pass through the gates.
“So, to some extent, it will reduce these activities of drug trafficking on these premises,” he said.
The renovated neuropsychiatric hospital now includes a 100-bed rehabilitation centre designed to provide care for people dealing with mental health conditions and substance abuse.
Fubara linked some mental health difficulties to factors such as joblessness, depression and other forms of emotional and psychological pressure.
“Even in developed countries, they send people to rehabilitation centres, and they help bring you back to normalcy. So what we have done here is to prepare for the current challenges of our time.”
He said rehabilitation centres play an important role in helping people recover and regain stability, adding that the upgraded facility was designed to respond to the growing mental health needs of society.
New General Hospital for Obio/Akpor
Speaking on the second project, Fubara said the size and population of Obio/Akpor made it necessary for the local government to have a standard general hospital rather than depend mainly on primary healthcare centres.
He noted that residents who required more advanced medical attention previously had to travel to facilities such as the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and Braithwaite Memorial Hospital.
“We discovered that the only health services around here are the primary healthcare centres.
“Tertiary healthcare can only be gotten if you go to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital or the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital. We felt that Obio/Akpor deserves a general hospital,” he said.
The governor explained that the new facility would enable residents to receive treatment closer to home, with patients requiring specialised care referred to higher-level hospitals when necessary.
He reiterated his administration’s focus on education, healthcare and housing, describing the three sectors as essential to building a functional society.
“By the special grace of God, we are trying our best in these three most important areas,” he said.
Fubara also urged the Obio/Akpor council leadership and residents of the host community to safeguard the projects and prevent vandalism or theft.
“You’re the direct beneficiaries of it. Don’t say it is a government thing. It is in your place. Who knows, it might take you a long time to get something like this again,” Fubara charged.
Stakeholders Applaud Projects
The Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Gift Worlu, praised the state government for completing the projects and making healthcare a priority.
Worlu said the upgraded mental health facility was particularly important, noting that the community needed a modern centre capable of responding to mental health and substance abuse concerns.
The outgoing President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, SAN, attended the event as the special guest of honour and performed the ceremonial ribbon-cutting to mark the opening of the facilities.
Osigwe commended the state government for investing in healthcare and specifically praised the attention given to mental health services.
He called for greater public understanding of mental healthcare and urged people not to stigmatise those who seek help. According to him, mental health services cover issues such as stress, depression and personal crises and are not limited to severe psychiatric conditions.
Facilities and Equipment
The Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, outlined the services available at the new general hospital.
He said the facility contains an accident and emergency unit, consultation rooms, pharmacy, laboratory, X-ray facilities, delivery room, maternity services, as well as antenatal and postnatal wards.
The hospital also has an operating theatre, recovery area for surgical patients, Central Sterilising Services Department, Intensive Care Unit, Newborn Intensive Care Unit, paediatric wards and male and female general wards with a combined capacity of 100 beds.
Private wards and administrative offices are also part of the facility.
Wachukwu said the upgraded neuropsychiatric hospital features consultation rooms, a pharmacy, laboratory, separate 50-bed male and female wards, a substance and drug rehabilitation centre and 50-bed private wards.
Other components include office spaces, recreational areas, a meeting hall, electroconvulsive therapy centre, information and communication technology centre, canteen and mortuary.
The facility also has a generator house, internal roads and landscaped areas, as well as a 216-bed hostel for students.
Staff accommodation comprises 12 two-bedroom apartments.
According to Wachukwu, both hospitals have been supplied with modern medical equipment to support diagnosis and treatment and each facility has also received a new ambulance.
