ASABA, Delta State — The Delta State Government has commenced the establishment of the state’s first neuropsychiatric facility and a modern public health laboratory, with both projects expected to be completed by March 2027.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme, disclosed this while speaking with journalists, saying the projects were part of the state government’s efforts to address critical gaps in the healthcare system and improve access to specialised medical services.
According to Onojaeme, the projects were conceived following a comprehensive needs assessment conducted by the state government shortly after Governor Sheriff Oborevwori assumed office in 2023.
He said the assessment identified the absence of a dedicated neuropsychiatric facility and a specialised public health laboratory as major gaps requiring urgent attention.
The commissioner explained that residents in need of psychiatric care had, for years, been forced to seek specialised treatment outside Delta State, particularly in Port Harcourt and Benin.
He said the situation had become more concerning amid the rising incidence of drug abuse and increasing mental health challenges in the society.
Onojaeme said the neuropsychiatric facility was being established to bring specialised mental healthcare closer to residents while reducing the financial burden and other difficulties associated with travelling outside the state for treatment.
On the public health laboratory, the commissioner said the facility would significantly improve Delta’s capacity to conduct specialised diagnostic tests and respond swiftly to infectious disease outbreaks.
He recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic and other disease outbreaks, samples collected in Delta were often transported to specialised laboratories in Irrua, Abuja and Lagos for analysis, sometimes resulting in delays in obtaining test results.
Onojaeme stressed that such delays could have serious consequences during disease outbreaks, noting that the new laboratory would enable the state to conduct specialised investigations locally.
“With a Lassa fever outbreak, we no longer need to send our samples to other states to analyse and bring back. That will be done in Delta State,” he said.
The commissioner said the laboratory would be equipped with modern diagnostic technologies, including Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machines, to facilitate the testing of infectious diseases.
He added that the facility was being developed in accordance with the standards of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), to ensure that its test results and analyses meet acceptable national standards.
Onojaeme, who recently inspected the facility to assess the progress of construction, expressed confidence that the laboratory would be completed by March 2027.
He said the two projects represented major investments in Delta State’s health infrastructure and would strengthen the government’s capacity to provide specialised healthcare services and respond more effectively to public health emergencies.
The commissioner said the projects would ultimately reduce the need for residents to seek specialised treatment and diagnostic services outside the state.
