Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has signed into law a bill on mental health services.
Governor Fayemi, while signing the bill into law on Monday, reiterated his administration’s commitment to providing quality health services to the people of the state.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that people living with mental disorders have access to appropriate care, adding that catering for the welfare of all members of the society regardless of their physical, mental or social status was indicative of the level of commitment to delivering universal health coverage.
The governor said the law would protect, provide, care and treat persons living with mental health disorders in order to save them from unnecessary stigma and marginalisation which increase the likelihood of their human rights being violated. He added that the framework would handle critical issues of hospitalisation and provision of high-quality care among others.
He said the core objectives of the law include establishing purpose-built mental health facilities and medical Social Work Department and units in selected secondary and tertiary medical facilities, as well as guarantee the protection of persons suffering from a mental disorder or illness and substance abuse in the state.
Other objectives, according to the governor, include ensuring that every person living with mental disorders have access to mental health care facilities by receiving and being admitted for treatment in a designated facility.
Governor Fayemi stated further: ‘As I sign this bill into law, I am fully convinced that the people of Ekiti State will be the best for it. This law is another promise kept in our pursuit to deliver qualitative, people-centred healthcare solutions to Ekiti Kete that leaves no one behind.
‘It will complement other efforts towards ensuring adequate health and social protection for our people, and we are grateful to God for the privilege of being the instrument through which his love for the vulnerable amongst us is demonstrated.
‘Earlier, the Wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, expressed appreciation to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Funminiyi Afuye and his colleagues; the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Olawale Fapohunda and the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Bamji Filani for the policy framework and speedy passage of the bill. She noted the difficulty that might arise from driving the various initiatives of the administration without the necessary legal and policy framework.
Mrs Fayemi explained that as Chair of the Gender-Based Violence Management Committee, she was aware of the inter-connection between mental health and gender-based violence, adding that was the reason she had remained a strong advocate for a mental health bill.
The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Funminiyi Afuye, said the mental health law has made Ekiti stand out as a clear leader in legislative governance which concerns the health and well-being of the people.