60 medical workers have been trained on mental health and psycho-social support by the Borno Government in collaboration with the World Bank under the Multi-Sectorial Crisis Recovery Project.
This was made known by the Chief Medical Director of the state Health Management Board, Prof Abubakar Kullima on Tuesday at the end of the five-day training held in Yola.
He revealed that the trainees were drawn from primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities in the state.
The CMD, who was represented by the Director of Medical Services, Dr Idris Ali, said the training was timely given the large number of people suffering from psychological trauma, occasioned by exposure to some gruesome activities of 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, Director of Umoru Shehu Center, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Maiduguri, Northeast Nigeria, Dr Falmata Baba-Shettima, said the management of trauma was central to human health and needed to be taken seriously.
On his part, Dr Ibrahim Adamu, said mental health accounts for 13 per cent of the global burden of diseases, adding that 75 to 90 per cent of people with mental health issues do not get treatment due to poverty or ignorance.
Similarly, a resource person, Dr Asmau Chibadu said the training would provide integrated treatment to patients with trauma and other conditions.
He added, “The training will also spur the medical personnel to know more about mental health for proper identification, management, referral and treatment.”
(NAN)
