Reps urged to pass mental health bill

Stakeholders in the mental health sector have called on members of the House of Representatives to pass the Mental Health Bill pending before it in the interest of the mental wellbeing of Nigerians. President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, Prof Taiwo James Obindo, who made the call when he led a delegation on […]

Stakeholders in the mental health sector have called on members of the House of Representatives to pass the Mental Health Bill pending before it in the interest of the mental wellbeing of Nigerians.

President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, Prof Taiwo James Obindo, who made the call when he led a delegation on a courtesy visit to a Rep member, Hon. Uchechuku Nnam-Obi (PDP, Rivers), said the Bill had already been passed by the Senate and transmitted to Reps for concurrence.

He identified lack of relevant policy and legislation as the major challenges affecting the progress of the mental health sector in the country, adding that when passed and signed into law, the Mental Health Bill before the House would help in addressing the challenges people with mental health face in the country today.

Prof Obindo, while commending the lawmaker for his recent motion on the floor of the House of Representatives calling for urgent attention to the rising cases of mental health issues in the country, urged him to liaise with the leadership of the House to ensure passage of the Bill.

Responding, the lawmaker thanked the delegation for the visit, assuring that he would do everything possible to ensure passage of the Mental Health Bill before the House.

He said there was also the need for the establishment of an agency that would be saddled with the responsibilities of handling mental health issues in the country.