18 IDPs found with mental illness in Yobe Camp

Over 18 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have been found with different mental/psychiatric challenges at Kukareta self established IDP Camp in Yobe state.

The village head of Kukareta, Alhaji Lawan Babagana told Daily Trust yesterday that had taken inventory of almost twenty psychiatric cases from the Camp.

He said that Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), in collaboration with Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria had recently intervened and taken medical care of nine patients, that the nine patients had been diagnosed with severe mental insanity, and were taken to a psychiatric hospital in Maiduguri.

“Although the number of patients is above 18, the agency took those with serious cases to Maiduguri Psychiatric Hospital for adequate medical attention,” he said.

When contacted, the Executive Secretary of SEMA, Musa Idi Jidawa, confirmed that they took five men and four women to the psychiatric hospital in Maiduguri, and they are responding to treatment.

He said some of the patients were diagnosed with anxiety and post-trauma stress disorders. “In fact, it has reached a stage that one of the patients was walking naked, but her condition stabilized after putting her on drugs. Now, we assigned caregivers to monitor their drugs intake to avoid reoccurrences,” he said.