Dr Nahim
By Mustapha Kamara Jnr.
Retired Consultant Psychiatrist at the Kissy Mental hospital says Sierra Lone has over six hundred and fifty thousand mentally retarded persons.
Dr Edward Nahim, who has worked for the Sierra Leone government since 1976, cited a study conducted in 2006 which he said indicated 6000 people were with psychiatric problems in the country. He told Politico Monday at his office in Kissy in the east of Freetown that among those mostly affected with the ailment were young people between ages 20 and 35.
“Approximately 60 percent of Sierra Leoneans suffering from psychiatric problems are youths,” he said, adding that among the people with the mental illnesses many were seeking medical attention for other diseases which worsened their condition.
Dr Nahim, who is thought to be the single qualified person in his relm of work in the country, said the Ebola outbreak had resulted in “numerous socio-economic problems” and brought an increase in the number of mentally retarded people.
“The Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone would increase the number of people suffering from mental illness in the country,” he said in an exclusive interview. He said thousands of people would have to suffer from “post-traumatic stress disorder of the Ebola virus” at the end of outbreak.
The Psychiatrist noted that such would be the situation in the country and the other hard-hit Ebola countries “because people who have survived the disease are being discriminated against and stigmatized by other people in their communities.”
Speaking about operations at the Kissy Mental home, Dr. Nahim said they were at the moment admitting only a few patients suffering from mental ailments because of the Ebola disease in the country.
He warned the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and other health partners to endeavour to communicate and sensitize both Ebola affected and non-Ebola affected persons so as to prevent the rise in the number of people suffering from different mental ailments.
“The government of Sierra Leone should help Ebola victims to reintegrate into their different communities having suffered from the Ebola virus disease,” he said.
© Politico 10/02/15
