Borno Government in collaboration with the World Bank under the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project, has trained 60 medical workers on mental health and psycho-social support.
Prof. Abubakar Kullima, Chief Medical Director of the state Health Management Board, stated this at the end of a five-day training in Maiduguri.
He said that the trainees were drawn from primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities in the state.
Kullima was represented by the Director of Medical Services, Dr Idris Ali.
He said the training was timely in view of the large number of people suffering from psychological trauma, occasioned by exposure to some gruesome activities of the insurgents.
Kullima advocated the inclusion of mental health and psycho-social support in the curriculum of colleges of health education in addition to quarterly training of workers.
Also speaking, Dr Falmata Baba-Shettima, Director of Umoru Shehu Center, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Maiduguri, said the management of trauma was central to human health and needed to be taken seriously.
In his presentation, Dr Ibrahim Adamu, said that mental health accounts for 13 percent of the global burden of diseases, adding that 75 to 90 percent of people with mental issues do not get treatment due to poverty or ignorance.
Dr Asmau Chibadu, a resource person, said the training would also provide integrated treatment to patients with trauma and other conditions.
“The training will also spur the medical personnel to know more about mental health for proper identification, management, referral and treatment,” he said.
Speaking, some of the trainees, Dr Ogualiki Placy, General Hospital Marama and Dr Ishaku Dickson of Monguno General Hospital, said the training was meaningful and had added a lot to their knowledge.
Dr Mala Alhaji Baba of Mafa and Hajara Ali, the officer in charge of General Hospital Magumeri also expressed delight over the training, adding that integrating mental health into the mainstream medical care would make the system a complete package.
