Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has commissioned an upgraded Neuropsychiatric Hospital and a newly constructed general hospital in Rumuigbo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
The commissioning ceremonies took place on Friday as part of the state government’s efforts to improve healthcare infrastructure and expand access to medical services.
Obio/Akpor is the local government area of origin of Fubara’s predecessor and former governor, Nyesom Wike, who currently serves as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Speaking during the event, Fubara explained that the decision to upgrade the neuropsychiatric facility followed an inspection visit to the existing rehabilitation centre, which he said had become outdated and inadequate.
According to the governor, the Hospital Management Board had invited him to inspect the rehabilitation centre, which was being developed with limited funds. He said the condition of the facility prompted him to order a comprehensive reconstruction and modernisation of the hospital.
Fubara said the project was subsequently expanded to cover the entire facility and bring it up to a modern standard.
The governor recalled that the neuropsychiatric hospital was conceived in 1970 and eventually inaugurated in 1977 with a 50-bed capacity. He also noted that one of the prominent doctors who managed the facility, the late Martins Yellowe, later served as a senator.
Fubara also raised concerns about activities that allegedly took place around the old facility, particularly the trafficking of illegal drugs.
He said the upgraded hospital is now properly secured and fenced, with controlled access through designated gates.
“This place was a drug trafficking centre. We keep people in the rehabilitation centre, but some of our people innocently come here to play football while others are carrying bags to sell drugs to the inmates,” the governor said.
He expressed optimism that the improved security measures would help curb such activities around the hospital.
The renovated neuropsychiatric facility now has a 100-bed rehabilitation centre designed to provide care for people dealing with mental health and substance abuse challenges.
Fubara said mental health problems could arise from several factors, including unemployment, depression and other forms of psychological pressure.
He stressed the importance of rehabilitation centres in helping affected individuals recover and reintegrate into society.
“Even in developed countries, they send people to rehabilitation centres, and they help bring you back to normalcy,” he said, adding that the upgraded facility was designed to respond to contemporary mental health challenges.
The governor also commissioned a new general hospital in Rumuigbo as part of the administration’s broader investment in healthcare infrastructure across Rivers State.
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