She urged the federal and state governments, individuals, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), philanthropists and corporate organisations to support her suggestion.
"These groups of people faced numerous challenges; the most prominent is inadequate manpower, facilities and infrastructure. The few ones available are poorly equipped to tackle the enormous medical, social educational and economic challenges posed by this condition, she added.
She identified challenges facing mentally challenged children to include stigmatisation, superstition and beliefs. "The stigma attached to this illness leads to neglect, maltreatment and rejection or ostracising those suffering from these conditions, hence many find themselves on the streets or in a spiritual home.
"High cost of treatment is another challenge faced by this group of people. The hike in medical facilities made it difficult for their caregivers to sort for medical care. Another problem militating against these groups is the poor government policy and uneven distribution of health care system. The Mental Health Bill, which would have taken care of these challenges, has not been passed by the National Assembly," she added.
She said: "Mental Retardation can be described as failure of the child to achieve intellectual and behavioural skills at the appropriate time for the age of the child. This varies in severity and may exist from birth or start at an early age. The retarded child’s developmental stage is very slow."
No comments:
Post a Comment