By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Sierra Leonean President, Julius Bio, has recognised a Nigerian Psychiatric Consultant, Dr George Eze, for his three-year profound and impactful work that uplifted psychiatric and mental health delivery in his country.

President Bio, who recently met with officials of Sierra Leone Psychiatric Teaching Hospital, in his statement affirmed that the re-engagement of Eze to sustain his clinical intervention, academic and professional development of psychiatry and related disciplines, had his full support.

“Eze will also be expected to use his extensive professional network to secure accreditation from the West African College of Physicians for the teaching hospital to advance the Psychiatry training programme.

“Staff and other personnel exchanges across the sub-region will enhance our manpower training through him,” Bio said.

Reacting to the development to newsmen in Enugu on Thursday, Eze said he was indeed

deeply humbled by this unexpected recognition and re-engagement.

According to him, this recognition is coming at a time most especially when I had served and left.

Eze, a respected officer of the Faculty of Psychiatry, West African Postgraduate College of Physicians, however, admitted that he did not achieve this success alone but with support of other hard working and resilient health staff he met on arrival.

He also described the positive development as “a clear evidence of the premium which His Excellency, President Bio, places on the health challenges of his citizenry.”

Eze, who is also the Founder of Initiative for the Support and Care for the Mentally Ill Destitute (INSCREMID), said: “This re-engagement is another sacred call to duty.

“Leveraging support from the government, Board and colleagues and with the collaboration of development partners, I will endeavour to set goals that will expand the frontiers of psychiatry and mental health in the country.

“By the special Grace of God, I shall deploy my energy, years of experience, expertise and goodwill to achieve results that will compare with best International standards and practices.”

Eze, whose initial engagement was under the Post Graduate Medical Training Scheme, funded by the World Bank, was the Head of Psychiatry Department of Sierra Leone Teaching Hospital Complex, Freetown, before he left last December.

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