The Ogun State Government remains committed to capacity building programmes for healthcare workers, so as to keep them abreast of new trends in health care delivery for the benefit of residents, particularly, those at the grassroot.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker made this assertion in Abeokuta, while speaking at the opening of a two-day training on Mental Health Service Delivery in Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs), organised in collaboration with the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, for 118 primary health care workers across the State.

 Dr. Coker described the initiative as a laudable step meant to improve the wellbeing of residents and meet the mental health needs of the people, especially at the community level.   

Represented by the Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, Coker revealed that the training was the first phase, covering PHC workers in Egba and Remo zone, emphasising that the Prince Dapo Abiodun led administration was set to deliver cutting edge mental health services to the people irrespective of their location.

Coker noted that the capacity building was important as learnings from it would be used to know what had happened in the past project, in order to measure its impact in communities, saying it was one of the essential trainings for PHC workers to ensure qualitative service delivery and assured that the existing interventions would be sustained.

Earlier in his address, the Provost and Medical Director, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Dr. Afeez Agboola, represented by the Chairman, SERVICOM and Quality Improvement Services, Dr. Imam Akeeb said the training was a timely intervention to ensure quality access to mental health at the local government level.

Also speaking, a former Provost of the Hospital, Dr. Timothy Adebowale who recalled that the Community Mental Health Project was initially implemented in 2009, expressed confidence that the move would yield the expected impacts in the State and the country at large.

          In their separate goodwill messages, the Head of Nursing, and her counterpart in Research and Training, Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, and Dr. Oluyinka Majekodunmi, as well as the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Kofoworola Olajide enjoined participants to make good use of the training, expressing delight at the collaboration between the State and the hospital to ensure the best in PHC service delivery.

Speaking on behalf of other participants, Mrs. Oluwabusayo Odidi and Mr. Taiwo Alebiosu from Abeokuta North and Odeda Local Governments respectively, appreciated the State government for prioritising health of the residents, saying the training would help to update their knowledge on mental health, as well as provide them with necessary skills needed to deliver quality services.