IGP charges Medical Officers to help deal with mental health of Police personnel

 

BY KAZIE UKO

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has described the job of the police as physically, mentally and psychologically demanding.

He said job-related stress and constant exposure to traumatic incidents can impact negatively on the mental and overall health of Police personnel.

Adamu, subsequently called on the Police Medical Services to strengthen its capacity to be able to respond to the aforementioned hazards when they occur.

“The Nigeria Police Medical Services must, therefore, consistently strengthen its institutional and personnel capacity to respond in the most professional manner to this occupational reality in order to ensure that Police personnel are fit at all times for optimal performance of their statutory duties,” Adamu charged.

The IGP spoke while opening the Conference of Heads of the Nigeria Police Medical Facilities on Thursday, at the IGP’s Conference Hall, Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Adamu who commended the Force Medical Officer, AIG (Dr) Modupe Obembe and her team for organising the conference said the initiative was “highly thoughtful” and “coming at a time that we are poised at repositioning the Nigeria Police Force to meet the challenges of policing Nigeria in the 21st century.”

He described the conference as being significant in several ways.

“Firstly, it serves as a forum to take stock in relation to the performance of the Nigeria Police Medical Services (NPMS) which was established in 1975 with a mandate of providing healthcare services to serving members and retirees of the Nigeria Police, their families, detainees in Police custody, and members of the public, especially during medical emergencies.

“Secondly, it provides an avenue for Medical Officers in the Police to interact, learn, network with their peers in the Nigeria Police Medical Services and draw on their practice experiences towards enhancing their knowledge and clinical skills with a view to engendering patient-centred care,” he said.

However, the Police IG added: “Beyond this, the conference will assist us in identifying gaps within the operations of the Medical Services and aid us in emplacing actionable strategies to strengthen the capacity of the section for quality healthcare delivery in line with global best practices.

“It is in cognisance of this that ‘Advancing the Quality of Health Care and National Health Insurance Scheme Coverage in the Nigeria Police Force’ which is the theme of this Conference is considered apt.

“It is my expectation that the outcome of this conference will assist the Police leadership in addressing the negative impact of job-related stress on the mental health of Police personnel which often occasion unprofessional conducts and widen the gap between us and the citizens in a manner that affect the attainment of our mandate.”

He promised that the Force will continue to support the Nigeria Police Medical Services and ensure that the challenges mitigating against its commitment to quality medical service delivery were addressed.

“In so doing, particular attention shall be placed on your career and welfare concerns,” he announced.

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