The founder of a Kaduna based rehabilitation centre, Lawal Maduru, has called on Nigerians to stop discriminating and stigmatizing people who were treated, cured and rehabilitated of mental problems.
Maduru made the appeal in an interview with journalists in Kaduna while speaking on the World Mental Health Day
According to him, stigmatization and discrimination of rehabilitated mentally challenged persons only leads them back to their old bad habits of abusing drugs.
Rather, he said such persons should be shown love. “Victims of mental diseases need love and care and not stigmatization.
“It is the responsibility of members of the society, governments and organisations to support in ensuring better life for rehabilitated mental health victims.”
Maduru disclosed that his centre has reformed over 1000 mentally challenged persons and drug addicts since its inception adding that some of those who have received treatment at the centre have been engaged in sharing their experiences to sensitise the youths including those in school on the dangers of drug abuse.
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He called on the government to evacuate all mentally challenged persons on the street and take them to psychiatric hospitals for proper treatment.”
He also urged the government “to provide an enabling environment for job creation so that the youths can be gainfully employed thereby reducing the temptation of their going into drugs.”
The World Mental Health Day is celebrated every October 10. It is a day set aside to raise more awareness on mental health issues.
It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries.
