Occupational Therapy department was established in 1974 and by 1975 it was completed as a one room unit, which later progressed to a fully developed clinical department. This department provides rehabilitation services to both in and out-patients and also patients from other nearby  states.
The personnel in the department started with Mr Raphael Obekpa who was the first to man the department as an occupational therapist with an attendant.
In 1977, Mr Thomas Cherian an expatriate (Indian) occupational therapist was employed and later Dr. F.O. Osikoya (OTR) was employed. Mr Obekpa left after a while and Mr Cherian also left the country. Dr Osikoya resigned his appointment in 1991, which led the department to be manned by two attendants trained by these occupational therapists. As a result of the departure of the aforementioned  occupational therapists  leaving the department with no professional to head it, the department was subsequently placed under the supervision of physiotherapy department.
As the management of the hospital intensified efforts to secure the services of at least one occupational therapist proved abortive because of the near total absence of them in the country, the management of the hospital started  training its own staff with prerequisite requirements and interest to fill the gap. This is owing to the establishment of a monotechnic in Lagos under the auspices of psychiatric hospital Yaba to train occupational therapists at diploma level.
In year 2009, a staff was sponsored by the hospital management to train at diploma level, in 2014 another staff was also sponsored to train at diploma level, then another staff was also trained at diploma level in 2008 then another one in 2024.
In the same vein, in 2010 another staff was sponsored to India by the hospital management for a degree programme in occupational therapy as was the case with other sister hospitals in the country. He successfully completed in 2015.
 
The objectives of the department
The objective of the occupational therapy department is to be the foremost in the provision of occupational therapy services to our teaming clients in the region.
 
The role and functions of the occupational therapy department in this hospital have in no small measure proved itself as one of the important services rendered in the rehabilitation programme of the hospital. It helps patients to achieve maximum possible independence in self-care, productivity, leisure providing a means of restoring physical functions, achieving secondary neuro-muscular abilities, building up coordination, endurance etc. Hence occupational therapy service provides structured situation within departments limitation, recognize limitations and develop a healthy attitude towards the patient’s disability.
Thus, the occupational therapist plays an important function in the rehabilitation. The department keeps a special close relationship with other clinical departments.
 
Services Rendered
The occupational therapy department renders the following services;
 To help patients of all ages improve or maintain skills for day-to-day activities and well-being through the use of therapeutic activities.
For the paediatric patients:facilitation of normal development of children with disabilities
Facilitation of handwriting development through provision of intervention to develop fine motor and writing readiness skills in school-aged children
 
Activities of daily living (ADL) training and retraining
Habilitation and rehabilitation services
Wheelchair training and prescription for persons with neurological disorders
Home, work/office modification
Home programme for distant patients
Fabrication of splints for patients with donning & doffing instructions
Community re-integration
Provision of assistive devices and training in their use
Provision of adaptive devices
Burn rehabilitation for the burn injured e.g. activities to remediate contracture, scar and hypertrophic scar, presuure garment
Rehabilitation of the spinal cord injured
Provision of outreach services and others