The Rivers State Ministry of Health  has stressed the need for people to visit the hospital and carry out  proper medical check up on their system in order to reduce the incidence of mental health challenges in the country.
The appeal was made as part of effort to mark this year’s Mental Health Day organised in conjunction with the  Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Port Harcourt. The Ministry is also to organise a mental health Road-Walk show that would take place in Model Community Secondary School Rumuprikom through Neuro Psychiatric Hospital Rumuomoi in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Speaking to The Tide in an interview, the Medical Director of Neuro-psychiatric  Hospital, Dr Ferdinand Ogbe urged the general public on differential mental disorder from diabolic forces. He said “this road walk is aimed at sensitizing the general public so as to draw attention and bring focus to the plight of mental disorder in the society. He solicited for support as according to him”, we want to reduce stigma in the society we want people to join us, because of the abnormality in behavior, people tend to associate symptoms of mental illness with diabolic imaginations and that is why majority of people that suffer this illness end up in churches or magicians homes or strange places looking for healing. But the appropriate place for people with mental disorder is the Psychiatric Hospital and fortunately for us in the state, we have a state Neuro Psychiatric Hospital here in Rumigbo”.
He further stated that globally, 20 percent of the world population suffer mental disorder due to work force either socially or psychologically  towards the effect every 10th of October each year is set aside to mark the world mental health day this year’s theme was “mental health to be heard.

Ojua  Huoma  & Markson Tamunobubeleye