Uba Sani expands mental healthcare to Kaduna hospitals, primary health centres

Residents across all 23 local government areas of Kaduna State are set to benefit from expanded mental healthcare services following the integration of mental health treatment into primary and secondary healthcare systems, Governor Uba Sani has announced.

Governor Uba disclosed this on Friday during the 2026 World Mental Health Day celebration at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Barnawa, Kaduna.

Represented by the state Commissioner for Health, Umma Ahmad, the governor said the initiative was aimed at bringing mental healthcare closer to residents and improving access to treatment.

He disclosed that the first batch of 100 doctors, nurses and pharmacists from 10 general hospitals had been trained and certified under the World Health Organisation’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP).

Sani said mental health screening had also been incorporated into routine maternal and child health services, while efforts were underway to expand access across the state.

According to him, integrating mental healthcare into primary and secondary facilities would promote evidence-based treatment, protect patients’ rights and reduce barriers to accessing professional care.

The governor also highlighted the launch of a telepsychiatry programme at the hospital, which allows patients to consult mental health specialists remotely.

He said the initiative would particularly benefit residents of hard-to-reach rural communities by reducing travel costs and delays in receiving treatment.

The programme would also enable specialists at the hospital to support healthcare workers in primary and secondary facilities, strengthening the delivery of mental health services across the state.

Meanwhile, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Aishatu Armiya’u, commended the Kaduna State Government for its investment in healthcare and the enactment of the Kaduna State Mental Health Law in September 2025.

She said the law represented an important step towards protecting the rights and dignity of people living with mental health conditions.

Armiya’u also disclosed that the hospital had partnered with the Kaduna State Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency to train healthcare workers drawn from primary healthcare centres across the state’s 23 local government areas.

She urged residents to support people experiencing mental health challenges by showing understanding, listening without judgment and encouraging them to seek professional help when necessary.