The Delta State Government has begun taking steps to establish the state’s first neuropsychiatric center and a state-of-the-art public health laboratory amid rising cases of drug abuse and growing mental health challenges.
The two projects are expected to be completed by March 2027, state Health Commissioner Dr. Joseph Onojaeme revealed.
Speaking to journalists in Asaba, Onojaeme said the projects were part of the government’s efforts to address identified gaps in the state’s health system and improve access to specialized medical services.
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He said the projects followed a comprehensive needs assessment carried out by the state government shortly after Governor Sheriff Oborevwori took office in 2023.
According to him, the assessment identified the absence of a dedicated neuropsychiatric center and a specialized public health laboratory as critical gaps requiring urgent intervention.
Onojaeme explained that residents in need of psychiatric care had, over the years, been forced to travel outside the state, particularly to Port Harcourt and Benin, to access specialized treatment.
He said the situation had become increasingly worrying amid rising cases of drug abuse and its associated consequences.
The commissioner said the government was therefore establishing the neuropsychiatric center to provide specialized mental health care closer to residents and reduce the difficulties and costs associated with seeking treatment outside the state.
As for the public health laboratory, Onojaeme said work was underway on a facility designed to strengthen the state’s capacity to perform specialized testing and respond more effectively to infectious disease outbreaks.
He recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic and other disease outbreaks, samples collected in Delta were often transported to specialized laboratories in Irrua, Abuja and Lagos for analysis, sometimes leading to delays in obtaining test results.
The commissioner warned that such delays could have serious implications during disease outbreaks, and emphasized that the new laboratory would allow the state to conduct specialized research at the local level.
“With an outbreak of Lassa fever, we no longer need to send our samples to other states to be tested and brought back. That will be done in Delta State,” he said.
According to him, the laboratory will be equipped with modern diagnostic technologies, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines, to facilitate testing for infectious diseases.
He added that the facility was being developed in accordance with the standards of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), with the aim of ensuring that its testing and analysis results meet acceptable standards.
Onojaeme said he recently inspected the laboratory to assess the progress of the work and expressed confidence that the facility would be completed by March 2027.
The commissioner said the two projects represented significant investments in the state’s healthcare infrastructure and would improve the government’s ability to provide specialized medical services and respond promptly to public health emergencies..
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