Manpower Development and Utilization of Health Care Delivery in Portharcourt Metropolis of Rivers State

Abstract

Health care is an important aspect of national security which not only functions as a measure for maintaining or improving health through preventing, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, illness, injury and other physical impairment, but also mental impairment in human beings. Incorporating mental health care in the general health care delivery system could be beneficial with mental illness or disorders such as depression, anxiety, addiction etc. This can be obtained when properly trained mental health workers are fully involved in the health care system such as clinical psychologists. The major problems experienced in the health care system are; delay in the approval of Mental Health Act passed by law, lack of adequate mental health infrastructure, low number of professional personnel, training research which could in return make Nigerian citizens suffering from mental illness to be at risk of being subjected to prejudices, discrimination, stigmatization and abuse. Recent research revealed that primary health care have poor knowledge of mental disorders and virtually no mental health care facilities. Also, that mental health services offered at the private general practice and government owned hospitals tend to be the only hope of the minority of the populace. Manpower development is essential in mental health especially in every health care delivery system. As an important sector, when incorporated in the system, the mentally deranged would enjoy treatment just as every other sick person (Citizen) in Nigeria.