UBTH CMD BEG EDO ASSEMBLY MAKE DEM MAKE LAW AGAINST DRUG ABUSE.

UBTH CMD BEG EDO ASSEMBLY MAKE DEM MAKE LAW AGAINST DRUG ABUSE.

Chief Medical Director of University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Prof. Idia Ize Iyamu, don beg Edo State House of Assembly make dem consider to make law wey go tackle drug and substance abuse for Edo State.

Ize Iyamu make di call when Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yekini Idiaye, visit UBTH as part of him waka go institutions for di state.

Di CMD specially beg lawmakers make dem consider law wey go make drug test compulsory for people wey dey find work and for students for state-owned secondary and tertiary schools.

She also talk about di new drug testing centre wey UBTH just build, say if House of Assembly collaborate with UBTH, e go help for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation for people wey drug don affect, especially young people.

She explain why UBTH build di centre. She talk say, “the reason we decided to come up with the drug testing centre at UBTH is because of the scourge of drug addiction, alcohol addiction.”

She add say, “The use of psychotropic substances is on the increase in Edo State, and it is constituting a menace.”

According to di CMD, some of di first set of people wey test positive for di centre na people wey never even reach 20 years.

“After we set up our drug testing centre, the very first group of people that tested positive are those that were under 20 years of age,” she talk.

Ize Iyamu also talk say e dey very important make dem catch drug abuse early, because to treat person wey don already enter addiction well well dey harder pass to prevent am.

“It’s more difficult to treat addiction than to prevent it. When addiction is chronic, it becomes a problem to society. It becomes even more of a problem when it affects the young ones.”

She still talk about other areas wey UBTH and state House of Assembly fit work together, like drug screening, special lab and diagnostic services, and other healthcare programmes.

For him own side, Speaker Yekini Idiaye talk say di visit na to find areas where Assembly and UBTH fit collaborate.

He also talk about di need for stronger collaboration between state government and UBTH, as he describe di hospital visit as part of him engagements with federal institutions across Edo State to support development.