By Oghenefejiro Emado
02, September 2026
Delta State’s first Neuropsychiatric facility and a state-of-the-art Public Health Laboratory will be completed and ready for use by March 2027, the State Government has announced.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, disclosed this in Asaba while speaking with journalists, saying the projects are part of deliberate efforts by the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to address critical gaps identified in the state’s healthcare system and to expand access to specialised medical services.
Dr. Onojaeme explained that shortly after assuming office in 2023, the state government conducted a comprehensive needs assessment of the health sector which identified the absence of a dedicated neuropsychiatric facility and a specialised public health laboratory as major challenges requiring urgent intervention.
He said over the years, residents of the state who required psychiatric care were compelled to travel outside Delta, particularly to Port Harcourt and Benin, to access specialised treatment, a situation he described as worrisome especially with the increasing cases of drug abuse and the growing burden of mental health challenges in the society.
According to him, the establishment of the neuropsychiatric facility is aimed at bringing specialised mental healthcare closer to the people and reducing the hardship and cost associated with seeking such services outside the state.
The Commissioner also stated that work is ongoing on the public health laboratory which is designed to enhance the state’s capacity to carry out specialised tests and to respond more effectively to infectious disease outbreaks.
He recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic and other outbreaks, samples collected in Delta State were taken to specialised laboratories in Irrua, Abuja and Lagos for analysis, a development that sometimes resulted in delays in obtaining test results, warning that such delays could have serious implications during disease outbreaks.
He said with the new laboratory in place, the state will no longer need to send samples to other states for analysis during Lassa fever outbreaks and other infectious disease situations, as such investigations will now be conducted within Delta.
Onojaeme disclosed that the laboratory will be equipped with modern diagnostic technology including Polymerase Chain Reaction, PCR, machines for testing infectious diseases, adding that it is being developed in line with the standards of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, to ensure that its test results and analysis meet acceptable standards.
He said he recently inspected the facility to assess the level of work and expressed confidence that it would be completed as scheduled in March 2027,
He noted that the two projects represent significant investments in the state’s health infrastructure that will improve the provision of specialised healthcare and strengthen the state’s response to public health emergencies.
