BRIEF HISTORY
The Occupational Therapy Department is one of the oldest departments in Aro. Mr J. Moren was the first Occupational Therapy Instructor and was assigned in 1947 to Lantoro Annex. In 1954, the hospital employed an expatriate, Miss H. Lewis as an ambassador of the profession. She established the Occupational Therapy Unit at Aro in (1957), soon after another expatriate Miss Jones joined her. In 1961, the first Nigerian Occupational Therapist, Bisi Aina, took over from Miss Lewis and worked single handedly for 3 years. In 1964, Mrs Babalola of blessed memory joined him. Other Nigerian Professionals who came on board were Mr E. A. Adebayo (1964), Mrs Akinola (1968), Ms Otolorin (1970), Dr Tokunbo Oshinkoya (1973), Alhaji Bakare (1974) and Mr Akinsanya (1982 to 2003), from then there was no professional Occupation Therapy to man the department both at Aro and Lantoro Annex.
In May 2005, Ms Otolorin took up a contract appointment as Head of Occupational Therapy Department. Mrs Akinola B. O. is the incumbent Head of Occupational Therapy Department, Neuropsychiatric Hospital Aro, Abeokuta, she took over the headship in January, 2013.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the department are:
To offer comprehensive occupational therapy services and develop the department to international standards both at Aro and Lantoro Annex.
To make Occupational Therapy Department a clinical training center for occupational therapy students.
To educate and create public awareness on occupational therapy and its roles in the health care system.
To provide a wide variety of vocational skills for patients.
To provide a community-based mental health services.
To ensure that clients are re-integrated back into the society with a satisfactory level of functional independence in all areas of existence.
FUNCTIONS
The department performs the following functions:
Enhancement of activities of daily living in the clients.
Provision of vocational activities .e. g. sewing and barbing services, printing, tie and dye, woodwork and carpentry, fashion designing, arts and crafts, etc.
Provision of leisure / recreational services such as music and dancing; indoor games i.e. ludo, monopoly, table tennis; outdoor games, e.g. football, lawn tennis, volley ball; and keep-fit exercises.
Provision of social activities/services e.g. group discussion, debate, quiz, parties, drama and brain teasers.