The Provost and Medical Director of Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Ogun State, Dr. Afis Agboola, Tuesday bemoaned abandonment of patients at the hospital by those he called “overburdened relatives.”
Agboola said this while playing host to the members of House of Representatives Committee on health institutions during their oversight visit to the hospital.
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The Provost said the 537-bed mental health care institution was facing serious financial threats related to low Internally Generated Revenue and meagre federal allocation.
Agboola said the hospital has some weaknesses which include; old infrastructure that requires continuous maintenance and repairs; stigma against mental illness and poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable patients.
He said “there is abandonment of many patients in the hospital by overburdened relatives.
“A lot of patients are abandoned and unfortunately philanthropists are afraid to associate with us.
“Philanthropists are reluctant to support our services for fear of being associated with mental illness.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of the House Committee on health institutions , Dr. Pascal Obi, allayed the fear of the management of the institution on some challenges.