From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
In the wake of the frequent attacks on Benue communities, a medical professional at Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Dr Joseph Igbudu, has urged the state government to establish a trauma management centre at the hospital, to care for the psychosocial needs of victims.
Igbudu, who is the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of BSUTH, Makurdi, made the call while speaking with our correspondent in his office in Makurdi.
He said the call has become necessary because the aftermath of the perennial attacks on Benue communities and killings of innocent residents have become traumatising for all, especially for victims and their families hence the need for the centre.
“If you go to our wards, you see quite a number of victims with different degrees of injuries spanning from the face, hands, down to the limbs. Some their ears are cut off, some their hands are cut off and some legs and others, very delicate areas were targeted with an intention to kill.”
He said “The victims, even after the wounds are healed, are traumatised and some of them, after some time, start manifesting certain traits that are bizarre and you think they are coming with psychiatric problems.
“But the cause of their present state of health or psychiatric problems is the trauma they went through as a result of the attacks.
“So the center I’m proposing is going to be encompassing for it will be structured in a way that it caters for the mental and psychological needs of the victims and family members who are catering for them.”
Igbudu who noted that the trauma doesn’t just affected the individual, but also affects the dynamics at home, the dynamics in the family and how the family proffers solutions to help the individual involved, said the center will also help those family members in trying to cater for those victims to enable them heal better.
While acknowledging that the outgoing administration of Governor Samuel Ortom has little time, Igbudu said the incoming Governor elect, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia, can liaise with the management of the hospital to develop a center of excellence trauma care.
“He can make it a center of excellence. Benue should be known for something, if for trauma management, fine. Now that we are having incessant herdsmen attacks, its not out of place to develop the Teaching Hospital to cater for them,” he said.
He, however, noted that in doing this, state government would also need to beef up manpower, infrastructure and a conducive environment to work in.
He said the centre would also train people from other hospitals a cross the country adding, “the truama center will be encompassing, it will deal with not only the truama aspect and also the psycho social aspects.”