Sierra Leone’s Famous Psychiatrist, Dr Edward Nahim Passes on

Popular Sierra Leone’s Psychiatrist, Dr Edward Nahim, has been announced dead on Monday morning of January 1^st 2024.

Nahim was the sole psychiatrist at the Kissy Mental Hospital known locally in Krio as ‘Crase Yard’ which is the first institution of its kind on the continent, built in 1827.

Since 1981, he served as the head of the hospital, he treats all patients. According to his biography, they include 100,000 patients with problems of drug abuse, 40,000 with either epilepsy or mental disabilities, 20,000 people suffering from PT-SD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and 100,000 patients with symptoms of major depression and schizophrenia.

Dr. Nahim is the nation’s leading mental health expert. He had a key role in demobilizing child and adult soldiers after the ten-year civil war in Sierra Leone. He currently holds several positions including Consultant to the Government of Sierra Leone, Director of Sierra Leone Psychiatric Hospital and Medical and Dental Registrar.

He contributed to the development of the World Health Organization’s Rapid Assessment of Mental Health Needs of Refugees, Displaced and Other Populations Affected by Conflict and Post Conflict Situations.

In 2004, in recognition of his work in mental health, Dr. Nahim was recipient of the Commander of the Order of Rokel (COR), the second highest civilian award in Sierra Leone.