Gwaram LG in Jigawa offers free treatment to 350 patients with mental health issues
By: Ahmed Aminu, Dutse
The Gwaram Local Government Council in Jigawa State has offered free treatment and routine follow up drugs to 350 people with mental health issues in the area.
The Chairman of the Council, Prof. Salim Abdurraman made this known in an exclusive interview with The Syndicate.
“We were worried by reports of mentally-ill cases, and so we announced that any family and community that has psychiatric patients to report to their respective councillors.
“We registered 350 patients across the area. The local council thereafter engaged psychiatrists, we brought them to Dingaya town where all the patients were examined and offered appropriate treatment.
“We also provided follow-up drugs, while a few with serious cases were admitted in psychiatrist hospital for proper medical attention,” Abdurraman said.
The chairman also said that the local council had conducted three rounds of medical outreach during which more than 5,000 patients across 11 wards in the area benefited.
He said the medical outreach focused on providing treatment to common ailments including eye surgery and treatment.
“In the area of eye treatment, over 5,000 benefited during three medical outreach exercises.
“The first exercise was conducted in October, few days after my assumption of office, where over 2000 eye patients were treated, and minor surgeries carried out. This cost us over N10 million. The good thing is their sights have been restored.
“Over N9.7 million was expended in the second round during which over 750 eye patients were treated and 196 underwent surgery. So also the third round held at Fagam and Tsangarwa towns where 1,229 eyes patients received medication, 210 got glasses, and all received N5,000 each for transportation. In all, we spent over N30 million.”
He expressed gratitude to Governor Umar Namadi for his support and encouragement to the council.
Abdurraman, who is also the state Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, further appreciated the governor for “his non-interference in local government administration and finances”.
