Lagos To Build Psychiatric Hospital In Ikorodu

Plans are underway by the Lagos State government to site a psychiatric hospital at Ikorodu.
Governor Babatunde Fashola broke the news yesterday at the Protea Hotel, Ikeja, at the launch of a book, Heroes and Others, authored by the outgoing Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr. Femi Olugbile.
He said the Federal Government-owned psychiatric hospital could no longer meet the needs of the state’s over 21 million residents.

Fashola said since the state has a facility at Ikorodu, the hospital would be built there to accommodate the needs of various psychiatric patients.
He said: “We must domicile mental health facilities because many of us may need such services. We need classification and it is important to break the stigma associated with mental ailments, because they are like every other sickness.
“Mental challenge is caused by mal-functioning of an organ. We have had our first conference operating at an altitude. It must come down to concerns beyond visible to what is invisible.
“What are these things we cannot see beyond health and school?”, said Fashola.

Speaking glowingly of the author as well as the contributions he made as a public servant, the governor said “what people know is worth more than what they own.
“When I appointed Dr. Olugbile as GMD LASUTH, I knew he made a First Class in Medicine, but I did not know he was also a great literary writer.
“To me, today’s event is a combination of education and healthcare, which represents the core of human capital development.
“When people are well and educated, they can be anything they want to be.
“Olugbile’s life is a massage that you can be anything you want to be in life provided you know what to do with your time.

“I have benefitted immensely from his work. His advice is assisting us make good decisions and we will still tap from his knowledge in the next 11 days before he retires,” he said.
At the event were Lagos Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Adefulire; GMD of Emzor, Mrs. Stella Okoli; Prof. Adebayo Williams; Lagos Health Commissioner,Jide Idris; former Lagos Commissioner for Health Leke Pitan; Majority Leader, Lagos House of Assembly, Ajibayo Adeyeye; Permanent Secretary, Ekiti State Deputy Governor’s office, Tunde Alokan, the book reviewer, Kunle Ajibade, among others.