Patients at the Aro Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Abeokuta, Ogun State, have staged a protest over poor treatment and living conditions at the facility.
The protest, which lasted over two hours, was eventually brought under control by police operatives from the Lafenwa Divisional Headquarters.
According to sources, the patients were protesting poor feeding, sanitation, and lack of alternative electricity during power outages.
Relatives of patients on admission claimed that the issues had been ongoing for some time and that partially healed patients had resorted to protesting after management failed to address their concerns.
The patients, who pay between N500,000 and N700,000 depending on the length of their stay, were also demanding better privileges, including the ability to see their relatives and move around freely.
The Public Relations Officer of the facility, Ajibola, downplayed the incident, calling it an “internal affair” that had been resolved.
However, the Lafenwa Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Enatufe Omoh, confirmed that one psychiatric doctor was assaulted during the protest, sustaining teeth bite injuries.
The DPO also stated that no one died during the protest.
The incident highlights concerns over the treatment and living conditions of patients at the facility, and efforts are being made to address the issues raised by the patients and their relatives.
