We rank Nigeria’s top 10 psychiatric hospitals and mental health institutions. Do you agree with our list?
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, mental health units, mental asylums or simply asylums, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders, such as clinical depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialize only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients while others may specialize in the temporary or permanent care of residents who, as a result of a psychological disorder, require routine assistance, treatment, or a specialized and controlled environment
There are a number of different types of modern psychiatric hospitals, but all of them house people with mental illnesses of widely variable severity.
Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston led the pack in the newly released 2016-2017 US News & World Report annual rankings of the best adult psychiatric hospitals in the United States.
So, how has Nigerian medical care failed in the area of mental health?
Several reports have revealed that Nigeria is generally short of physicians and, there are less than 100 psychiatrists for its over 180 million people.
The bulk of psychiatric service is provided by the country’s eight regional psychiatric hospitals and the departments of psychiatry in 12 medical schools. A number of general hospitals also provide psychiatric services. Despite these facilities, experts generally believe that mental health care remains inadequate in Africa’s most populous black country.
These are the regional psychiatric hospitals in various parts of Nigeria:
The Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Centre, Kwara, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Benin, Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Enugu, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Kaduna, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri, State Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Awka, Anambra, Psychiatric Hospital, Eket, Akwa Ibom, Psychiatric Hospital, Sokoto, Kano State Psychiatric Hospital, Kano, and Psychiatric Hospital, Abia.
There are also some federal and state government-owned multi-specialist hospitals which also offer psychiatric services. These hospitals include:
National Hospital, Abuja, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo, UCH (University College Hospital), Ibadan, Oyo, OAU Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Kaduna, Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital, Kano, University of Nsukka Teaching Hospital, Enugu, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti, Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo, Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Delta, Federal Medical Centre, Bida, Niger, Federal Medical Centre, Adamawa: Yola Specialist Hospital, Bauchi: General Hospital, Bauchi, Benue: General Hospital, Makurdi, Delta: General Hospital, Warri, Edo: Central Hospital, Edo: Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Ondo: Akure General Hospital, Oyo: Ring Road Specialist Hospital, Ibadan, and Rivers: Psychiatric Hospital Rumuigbo, Port Harcourt.
Now, here are the top 10 best dedicated psychiatric hospitals/mental health institutions in Nigeria
Designated by the World Health Organization in 1979 as the WHO Collaborating Centre in Research and Training in Mental Health and Neuroscience, selected by the Federal Government of Nigeria as one of the 7 specialty hospitals in Nigeria to be rehabilitated and equipped to a 5-star status, categorized as a 3-star service provider in 2008 by SERVICOM for acceptable quality service delivery. This hospital has won at least four different awards which includes:
(1) The Best Primary Health Care Provider 2015: Won the Nigerian Health Care Excellence award as the Primary Health Care Provider of the year – 2015. The award was presented to the Ogun state-NPH Aro Primary health Care Programme, in recognition of the outstanding service delivery in the field of health care in Nigeria. Global Health Project and Resources
(2) The Health Facility Utilization Award – 2010: 3rd position in Health Facility Utilization, tertiary health category, considering the 2007-2009 rendered data among tertiary health institutions in Ogun state. Awarded by the Ministry of Health, Ogun state. Presented on the 29th July 2010.
(3) The Best Specialty Hospital in 2007 Awarded a National Honour as the best Specialty Hospital in Nigeria in 2007 by the 50th National Council on Health, Nigeria, in recognition of her contribution towards improved health services in Nigeria.
(4) The Most Outstanding Public Sector Organization – 1999 a merit award as the most outstanding public sector organization for the year 1999.
The Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, also known as Yaba Psychiatric Hospital or Yaba Left is a Nigerian Federal psychiatric hospital in Yaba, a suburb of Lagos. Yaba Psychiatric Hospital was established in Lagos in 1907 as Yaba Asylum. Mental health care was provided by medical officers before the emergence of mental health professionals; psychiatrists and psychologists in custodial interventions. Over the years, this hospital has witnessed four developmental stages. The first stage, (1907 1950) was purely asylum state. The function of the hospital was custodial i.e. keeping the mentally ill away from the society. The second stage (1951 71) witnessed the arrival of qualified psychiatrists, nurses and pharmacist. There was an outpatient department and it also marked the beginning of Occupational Therapy in the hospital. The third stage saw the introduction of qualified psychiatrist. At this time, although buildings were still substandard, treatment then was the best and the name changed from mental hospital to Psychiatric Hospital, and finally the fourth stage marked the coming of the first female psychiatrist in Nigeria as the medical director of the hospital.
- The Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Kaduna
The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital (FNPH) was established in 1995 along with four (4) other new Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospitals in accordance with the National Mental Health Policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Over the years this hospital has witnessed remarkable transformation that has since elevated FNPH, one of which is the accreditations by the West African College of Physicians and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria in 2001.
Under the leadership of Dr T.L Sheikh as Medical Director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Barnawa Kaduna has been transformed into an internationally renowned institution in quality service delivery, training of mental health professionals and, research in mental health and related fields.
- Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar
Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar is located at 123, Calabar Road, Cross river. It is a national and regional mental health resource centre known as one of the apex centre for Psychiatry in Nigeria before. This more than 104 years old Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Calabar, Cross River State is in serious need of facilities to run as a fully fledged Psychiatric hospital according to The Director, Internal Audit of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Mr. Ibrahim Dauda, in December 2017. Though the hospital unarguably claim to be the oldest Psychiatric Hospital in Nigeria, established in 1903, but I think it needs serious modernization to meet up with WHO recommended standard.
Tranquil and Quest is a private psychiatric hospital and drug addiction rehabilitation centre in the heart of Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. This hospital pride themselves as a mental health facility in providing premium and innovative behavioral health services to individuals, families and organizations. They offer psychiatric evaluations, medication protocols, substance abuse treatments, individual therapy, family therapy and group therapy. They seems to be the best private psychiatric hospital in Nigeria. They provide adult psychiatric services, child and adolescent programs, substance abuse treatments programs, elder care assisted living program and employee assistance program.
- Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Benin City (FNPH Benin City)
In 1964, the old Iyekuselu Districk Council Maternity/Dispensary located in Uselu was acquired by the Mid-Western regional government and the Psychiatric Unit was moved in and named Nervous Disease Clinic, Uselu.The Nervous Disease Clinic started with the acquired three dilapidated buildings giving accommodation to eight (8) in-patients and rendering out-patients services for both psychiatric and physical ailments. In 1975 this neuro-psychiatric hospital was finally established. This has come to be a hospital for mental medical issues and the mentally challenged. It is a national and regional mental health resource centre known as one of the apex centre for Psychiatry in Nigeria. It offers such medical services like Occupational Therapy, Drug Addiction Treatment, Adolescent Mental Health, Physiotherapy, Forensic Psychiatry, Electroencephalography (EEG), Radio-Diagnostics, in addition to its School of Psychiatric Nursing, Clinical Nursing, and Psychiatry Residency Training.
Synapse Services has provided well over Eight years of high quality specialist mental health care services in Nigeria. It is the largest provider of private mental health care services in West Africa with a combined bed over 110 bed spaces. It is an outcome driven service. They provide exceptional care for people of all ages. They also provide support to those with emotional and psychiatric issue and addiction to substances.
Their facilities are equipped with rTMS machine, a modern medical equipments that are used for the treatment of addiction and other mental and psychological illnesses. They have modern gymnasium, music school, computer training center, life and business coach, games, opportunities for voluntary work, book club, support by their professional teams based abroad.
- Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Sokoto
Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Kware is a Specialised Service Hospital located at Kware, Sokoto. in Kware local government area of Sokoto State.
- Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri
The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to cover the North East Zone comprising of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Taraba, Gombe and Yobe for the treatment and prevention of mental disorders (including) drug abuse and rehabilitation of the mentally ill persons. Its mandate also include research and training in the field of Mental Health and Neuroscience.
- Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Enugu
Federal NeuroPsychiatric Hospital is an Enugu based Federal neuro phychiatric hospital. It offers medical care to the mentally challenged within Enugu and it’s environs. Though this hospital has been plagued with series of industrial action from its members based on managerial issues but it made the bottom of the list of devoted psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria.