“We are receiving a huge number of requests”: Why Mbour is demanding its addiction treatment center (Deputy Prefect)

The deputy prefect of Mbour, Mamadou Farba Sy, launched a plea for the construction, in the department, of a center specializing in the reception, early care and treatment of people suffering from addictions and mental health disorders.

Speaking after a meeting for reflection and discussion on youth addiction, he emphasized the growing scale of the phenomenon in the Mbour department. According to him, the prefecture receives numerous cases related to the involuntary commitment of individuals requiring treatment in specialized healthcare facilities.

Due to the lack of a suitable center in Mbour, many families are forced to send their sick to Thiès or Dakar, sometimes with heavy financial consequences.

“I am making this plea to the central authorities for the construction of a center in Mbour for local care. At the prefecture level, we are receiving an enormous number of requests for hospitalization. This clearly demonstrates the acute nature of the problem in the department. We will all take action, whether it be the administrative authorities, local elected officials, or healthcare professionals. We will work closely with all stakeholders to eradicate this scourge,” he insisted, believing that such a facility would allow for rapid intervention before patients' conditions deteriorate.

According to the deputy prefect, this center should not be solely a place for treatment. It should also serve as a permanent space for raising awareness, prevention, and education, particularly for young people.

He specifically mentioned school dropout, precariousness and the lack of support structures as factors likely to expose some young people more to addictions.

Indeed, Mbour, due to its geographical location and status as a crossroads city, faces several factors likely to contribute to the rise of addictions. Hence the need, according to Mamadou Farba Sy, to strengthen awareness among young people about drug use and to urge parents to be more vigilant.

The deputy prefect also emphasized the importance of focusing on communication and education. But above all, he reiterated his plea for the construction of a specialized center in Mbour. "The center itself, I insist on this point," he stressed.

Insecurity: vigilance, reporting and coordination at the heart of the strategy

Addressing the security issue, the deputy prefect of Mbour stressed the need for a concerted approach. "Security is a cross-cutting issue. It does not only concern the defense and security forces, but all actors, including communities," declared Mamadou Farba Sy.

The public is therefore urged to be more vigilant, to cooperate with the authorities, and to develop a genuine culture of reporting. According to him, neighborhood representatives, who form an important link in the local administrative structure, must also play a relay role by reporting any unusual or suspicious situation.

This collaboration should allow the defense and security forces to act more quickly and, above all, to anticipate certain threats or crisis situations.

The prefectural authority, for its part, organizes periodic meetings relating to security at the departmental level, in order to strengthen coordination with the defense and security forces present in the department and to provide appropriate responses to the security concerns of the population.

“We are working together with all stakeholders to find solutions to the security issue,” he reassured.

As a crossroads city welcoming numerous nationalities, the department must, in his view, strengthen prevention and surveillance efforts. He has therefore called on the defense and security forces to increase vigilance, reinforce controls and patrols, particularly in sensitive areas and places frequented at night.

Mamadou Farba Sy also announced the implementation of an operational security plan at the departmental level, developed in consultation with the Agency for Assistance to Local Security and the various defense and security forces.

Faced with the demographic growth of Mbour, he finally pleaded for a strengthening of the personnel and material resources of the security services, in order to better meet the expectations of a population that is growing day by day.