JUTH psychiatric department in Nigeria is overcrowded
In Jos, Nigeria, the psychiatric department of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) is operating at the limit of its capacity due to a growing number of patients. The facility has only two inpatient wards — a 20-bed men's ward and a 15-bed women's ward — so new patients are kept in the psychiatric emergency department when no beds are available.
As Premium Times Nigeria reports, Emmanuel John waited three days for a free bed for his daughter after a severe episode of mental illness. When a place was finally found, the patient was discharged early to free up the bed for people in more critical condition.
Shortage of beds and specialists
Hospital employees who spoke to the publication anonymously said that medical staff are often forced to choose between the needs of patients already hospitalized and people arriving in an emergency condition. A relative of another patient, Patience Samuel, said that her son was examined at JUTH but could not be admitted because of a lack of space. The family had to turn to a private hospital, where treatment became a significant financial burden.
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JUTH management said that demand for psychiatric care has grown in recent years. The hospital's chief medical director, Pokop Bupwatda, linked a significant part of the increase in admissions to psychoactive substance abuse, especially among young people. He also acknowledged a shortage of specialized personnel and said that the hospital is training more psychiatric nurses.
A nationwide problem
According to Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health, only about one in five people in the country with severe mental disorders receives adequate treatment, while the treatment gap is around 80%. Nigeria, whose population exceeds 200 million, has fewer than 300 psychiatrists, most of them in major cities.
Bupwatda said that the second phase of the expansion of the JUTH psychiatric complex is 90–95% complete. Once commissioned, it is expected to add new wards and treatment facilities. Jos-based mental health expert Mary-Jane Samuel stressed that expanding the hospital alone is not enough: the country needs to recruit more psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and social workers, and develop care at the primary and secondary levels.
