Kaduna Psychiatric Hospital Launches Toxicology Unit for Substance Abuse

Armaya’u, the Medical Director of Kaduna psychiatric hospital, disclosed that substance abuse constitutes half of the hospital's patient population during a media engagement on Wednesday. The increasing number of patients with substance-related mental health issues has strained the hospital's facilities.

Previously, acute substance abuse patients were housed with other mental health patients, resulting in aggressive behavior and escape attempts. In response, the hospital converted a renovated ward into a specialized toxicology unit, the first of its kind in a psychiatric hospital, designed to treat acute substance abuse cases for up to one month before assessing them for rehabilitation.

The hospital currently operates a 42-bed drug abuse treatment, education, and rehabilitation (DATER) ward and a 30-bed toxicology ward but faces overcrowding with hundreds of patients. Armaya’u noted that the hospital has enhanced its addiction treatment services by employing specialists and expanding mental health services to communities, training 23 centres of excellence to assist 1,075 patients in one month.