However, the story seems to be almost the same in all sections .The inhabitants are by all indications, living in a dilapidated condition even as the Deputy Chief Medical Director of the hospital Dr A.P Amdzaranda, confirmed that the psychiatric unit of the hospital does not aspire to holistic medicine.

However, medical experts would contend that psychology of the patient is important with regards to response to treatment. “A squalid hospital is a disaster area and the patients therein are running unimaginable risks,” Malama Jummai Bello, a visitor to where a relative is recuperating from mental retardation had told Sunday Trust.

During a visit  by  our correspondent last Wednesday, a fat rat “galloped” through the male ward  and escaped through the door into the adjacent bathroom, the toilets which are located very close to the wards were letting out a terrible stench which was enough to engender or renew diseases in itself. While other parts of the hospital are overgrown with grass, from the gates through the wards, all are a depressing sight.

Patients and their attendants sometimes do cover their noses in futility, as the nurses saunter unperturbed through the wards and along the walkways while electricity was off or on ration and patients suffer with silent disdain.

Some of the half-regain (rehabilitated) patients spoken to on condition of anonymity, appealed to the authority to come to their plight,  “ We want to appeal to your conscience and reason through this medium. There is no gainsaying the fact that the economy of this country is pounding and punching devastating blows on the masses; therefore we shall not treat with kids gloves, any additional burden meted to us because we found ourselves in this psychiatric unit unexpectedly and unprepared”.

Growing cases with less doctors

While there is an increase in the number of people trooping there with psychological problems, the staff strength manning the unit is grossly inadequate. Sunday Trust gathered that only two doctors and four psychiatric nurses are available, working in a dilapidated structure, as even the chief psychiatric officer in the hospital, Dr A. P. Amdzaranda can say, “this is an eyesore. It is not easy to work under this difficult condition.”

While speaking to newsmen, Dr Amdzaranda confirmed that there is an increase in the number of people trooping in with mental retardation problems.

He said in a week, over 20 patients could be admitted, describing the situation as “very alarming”. While blaming the political class for worsening the situation by engaging youths who indulge in  drug addiction, the medical doctor noted that in recent time, over 500 youths mostly under the age of 25 were counseled, hence he stressed the need for all hands be on deck to address the problem.

He advised that the concerned authorities such as the NDLEA should not rest until the alarming trend of drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking is checked.

Dr Amdzaranda explained that youths and young adults within the age of nine and 35 years and are the most affected as this can be confirmed from the increasing number of youths admitted in the psychiatric unit and rehabilitation centres, as well as those arrested and kept in NDLEA’s pre-trial cells as well as those remanded in prison custody as awaiting trials.

According to him, the implication of this unfortunate situation is the association of these youths with criminal activities such as theft, armed robbery, manslaughter, hired assassinations, arson, hooliganism, etc.

There is an emerging trend of the abuse of new drugs such as pentazosine injection, cough syrup with codeine and other unconventional substances such as Gosskolo and Shakubasur.

The major reason given by some of the youths met at the hospital is that the prescription drugs are indiscriminately sold by medicine stores and the local substances are readily available all over the place.

It could be recalled that the number of suspects arrested between January and June this year by the state command of the NDLEA stands at 78 males and one female while hard drugs and psychotropic substances seized is 83kg.

Out of this number, 23 people were convicted, 170 others were counselled, while 12 children brought by their parents and guardians were in the custody of  the NDLEA, undergoing counselling.

As the state psychiatric unit begs for total rehabilitation by the state government, the medical expert said more efforts should be concentrated on the discovering of indian hemp farms, arrest at interdiction points, review of counselling modalities as well as liaising with both government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for more support and cooperation because the NDLEA  alone cannot win the drug war, just as other government agencies might not be able to curb other social vices affecting the state.

Meanwhile, all efforts to speak with any official of the state ministry of health on the pathetic condition of the state psychiatric unit proved abortive as none was willing to talk to the press while the newly posted health commissioner was said to have travelled as at the time of filing this report.