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Chuks Udo Okonta
Alliance and General Insurance Plc, today made history as the first underwriting firm in recent time to extend love and support to patients of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos by donating food and other necessary items to them as part of celebration of Valentine Day.
The Executive Director Alliance and General Insurance Plc Folashade Olafisoye, said the company decided to show love to patients of the Hospital, who most people do not often extend love to, adding that the public places more emphasis on physical health, while paying less attention to mental health issues.
She noted that Alliance and General Insurance Plc has decided to promote campaign on mental health, that would help to stop the stigmatization of mental health as mental health is as important as physical health.
“We plan to stop the stigmatization of mental health and we are looking at an environment whereby people could build an open community, where they should be comfortable and free to talk about mental health without been stigmatized,” she submitted.
The Medical Director Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos, Dr. Olugbenga Owoeye, who was excited, noted that in the history of the hospital, the visit was the first time by an insurance company and that the gesture was really remarkable.
He said the donation by the insurance firm, would delight the patients, adding that there are many of them, who don’t have anybody to relate with and that the kind gesture demonstrated by the firm, would make them believe that there are people who are interested in their wellbeing.
“Unfortunately, the society associates mental health to mental illness. Your coming here is dear to us, as there is the need to promote our mental health through collaborations,” he posited.
On how to develop good health, he implored people not to do more than what they have the ability to do, whilst urging them to have enough rest and should not use drugs to cope with challenges of life.
On challenges faced by the hospital, he said there is no enough facilities to handle the patients, stressing that there are only 535 beds in the hospital which is meant to cater for over 22 million population of Lagos state.
He submitted that there is a relationship between mental health and love, stressing that love helps to promote mental health capacity.
Dr. Owoeye implored the management of the insurance firm to sustain the relationship with the hospital, stating that the hospital would be happy to have a building constructed by the insurance firm, which would help increase the number of beds in the hospital to cater for patients.
