The issue of handling the mentally ill persons needs special skills to deal with them to avoid unpleasant consequences. The Director Amaudo integrated community mental Health foundation, the Very Rev. Kenneth Nwaubani told Hanto Daily News that staff the centre sometimes fall victims of the violence of some patients. He also revealed that no metaphysical approach is needed to pick patients along the streets as popularly believed by some people that the picking exercise is for the spiritually empowered.
According to him, there is hope that the road leading to the centre will soon receive attention following the recent, visit of the wife of Abia Governor, Mrs Priscilla Chidinma Otti to the centre, the first of its kind in the history of the Rehabilitation centre founde in 1989.
The interview:
Question —
What informs your choice of those you pick along the streets for rehabilitation. Are spiritual directives you receive before setting out.
Ans —-
Amaudo is focused on those who are mentally ill and homeless. However, there are lots of homeless people in society that may not be mentally ill. Also there are mentally ill persons like drug addicts who move around each day and go back to their homes at the end of the day. Those who belong to this particular group are not homeless. So, we are careful so that we focus only on those who are both mentally ill and homeless. The skills we have lead us to properly identify those who actually fall into this category.
Here lies the need for government and the people to help provide adequate care for the mentally ill to prevent them from roaming about our streets. Remember the Igbo saying ” onye aghala nwanneya.” (Be your brother’s keeper).
In the past, for anyone to be homeless and be roaming about is a shame to such a family as the relatives are expected to provide shelter for their own.
So, the skills that we have are what lead us in our choice of beneficiaries. But sometimes people think that there are some metaphysical directives, power or guidance.
Question —
Are there cases where mental illness could not be treated.
Ans —–
Every case of mental challenge can always be treated and cured. However, there are complex issues that could prevent total rehabilitation including: mental illness with learning disabilities, speech disabilities,
Infact, mental retardation cannot be totally treated.
Question —
What is the difference between being “Mad” in our ordinary language (mental illness) and mental retardation?
Ans ——–
One is regarded as mentally ill that person’s behavior and reasoning are abnormal. On the other hand, one is seen as having mental retardation when the person’s development stages in life have not been met, especially, in speech, cognitive abilities, walking etc.
Question ——–
How many persons have been rehabilitated and discharged by the centre since inception?
Ans ——-
The official number is 1,560 persons. However, there those who come to receive short period treatments that were not picked along the streets. If add this set to the other category, we have over two thousand people treated and discharged by the centre so far.
To add to this, Amaudo has extended it’s services to the larger population in the rural areas where cases of drug abuse, depression etc are also treated through the community mental health clinics. At present, the centre is providing services to over 10,000 Abians across the seventeen LGAs through these community health clinics.
Question ——
How do you monitor the recovery of those discharged?
Ans ——–
For those who are within Abia, Imo, Anambra and Ebonyi where we have presence, the community health clinics perform that job. This is the plan Amaudo has to be able to sustain and ensure that they have where to always consult for services.
Beyond that, we moved further to form what we call ” Service User Group”. This is a group of people who have been rehabilitated or those who have been treated of the illness that come together to form a cooperative body for the discussion of issues affecting them.
Let also inform you that the centre provides micro finance revolving loan to help them fend for themselves and assist their various families. The amount is from 50,000 Naira and above.
Question ——
Is it permitted for people to bring in their mentally ill relatives for admission and treatment. What are the procedures.
Ans ——
At the beginning, we were not admitting those we didn’t pick ourselves to the centre. However, seeing the credibility of our services at the centre, people began pressuring us and we had to yield to their requests.
The caveats here are that the relatives of such a person must be available to take care of the patient during rehabilitation which lasts for three months at the first instance. Secondly, they are required to pay a little token to help the centre in managing such a person.
Question —
How risky is working with these mentally unstable people. Are there at times they inflict injuries on your staff.
Ans ——-
Yes, it is assumed that one who is mentally ill is unpredictable and there could also be risks in managing the person. When you consider these people hear voices that are not real and begin to act, you have to be careful.
Mental illness treatment has to do with serious observation. You have to be very observant while working with them. You must know and listen to what they mutter and say all the time.
However, it must be pointed out that most are violent because society shows them violence. Furthermore, it has been observed that violence comes mostly from drug addicts who are always under influence. Be warned, some of these Keke operators, drivers and even other workers belong to these addicts.
Well, to answer your question, there are cases of violence against staff by some inmates. It is a bit risky handling them but our skills and passion help us a great deal.
Question —
Are there cases of patients’ elopement.
Ans ———
Of course there are such cases. When we pick them and bring them to the centre,we try to give them insight as to willingly remain in the premises. At early stages of treatment, we have issues of elopement and that is where the task in rehabilitation lies.
However, this is where the host community plays a great role. We have cases where some wander to the village and farmland and they’re brought back to the centre by the people. Because we are at peace with the host community, there are even cases where commercial motorcyclists bring them back. It must be pointed out that there is no wall or fence around the centre. This situation is like this to remove compulsion on their stay there. If you put a high wall, you can’t be sure of the person’s real state of mental health. When they are rehabilitated in this open environment, when they go back home, they will not stray out of their compounds. They willingly follow us to the farm, the kitchen, the chapel and other activities at the centre without any form of compulsion. Staying under a fenced environment is also a form of abuse.
Amaudo is a community. We don’t have Walls in our communities. So seeing a wall could instill fears into a patient that is being brought into the centre for rehabilitation.
Question ——–
What have you done to address the challenge of the dilapidated road network leading to the centre.
Ans ———–
The road is a huge challenge to what we are doing and an embarrassment to the centre. It has remained unattended in previous years.But in recent times,we have engaged this government through the media and other means to let them know the poor state of the road. Recently, there has been some palliative work done on the road. Some bad portions have been asphalted. From Bende to Ndiwo is now motorable. However, from Ndiwo to the centre is still dilapidated.
We are believing that the recent appeals we made and the breakthrough we had through the visit of the wife of the Abia state Governor, Mrs Chidinma Priscilla Otti has given us assurance that before long the road will witness positive turnaround. I think the wife of the Governor felt the dilapidation when she visited.
Question —
This was the first time a first Lady was visiting the centre, what magic did you perform to achieve this historic point.
Ans ——-
It’s God and of course the spirit of the wife of the Governor. It is one thing for you to make an appeal and another thing for someone to yield to the appeal. When somebody has a heart of gold, any little push can always convince that person. The wife of the Governor has shown herself as one who feels for the common people. She has set a record for herself and the present government in Abia as one ready to touch lives. Here, I must also thank the commissioner for Women Affairs for her efforts in this regard.
Question ———
Where would you like to see the centre whenever you leave this place.
Ans ———
My vision for Amaudo is that anytime I would be leaving here, it would be a leading mental healthcare service centre in South East, Nigeria and Sub Saharan Africa. We have already set basic structures, both locally and internationally. We have demonstrated integrity, capacity and accountability in service and management. We have also demonstrated that our services are reliable. Currently, we have referrals from all over the country and has continued to receive calls from abroad concerning the centre.
Today, Amaudo is a household name. It has come to demonstrate that rehabilitation and providing affordable and accessible mental healthcare in communities and closing the gap in treatment in Nigeria are possible. Indeed, my dream is having the locals achieve beyond what foreigners had achieved. We continue the development of manpower to sustain the current services being rendered and led by people who are committed and are passionate about the job.
We want to strengthen our corporate outlook so that we remain relevant. Before long, we are going to develop headquarters in Umuahia which will make it another place where patients could receive treatments. Those who find it difficult to travel to the rural Amaudo will now be availed of treatment in Umuahia. We are going to develop what we call a mega clinic with state of the art facilities. This would put to an end medical tourism on mental illness related cases. The centre will also be established in Aba and Abia North to ensure timely treatment of mental illness health.
This is my dream, to make people seek treatment with shame and fear of stigmatization.
Interviewer —
Thank you for grant Hanto Daily News this rare opportunity.
Ans ——-
Thank you for remembering us and God bless you.
