Ikechukwu Azuonye

Ikechukwu Obialo Azuonye (born 17 April 1949) is a medical doctor and poet born and raised in Eastern Nigeria. He comes from a large family. His father, Stephen Onyemaechi Azuonye, was a highly placed civil servant in Eastern Nigeria; he died in 1982. His mother, Hannah Egwuime Azuonye (née Nwosu-Igbo) was a trained teacher but for the most part was a housewife and community leader. He has brothers Chukwuma, Ndubuisi, Uzoma, Chikezie, Kodichukwu and Nnorom. His sister Ngozi, who worked for Nigeria's telecommunications services, died in 2008 following a long illness, and his brother Chidi died aged 19, in 1982, in a road traffic accident. He has four half-brothers (Adindu, Uche, Chukwuemeka and Kelechukwu) and two half-sisters (Obioma and Chinyere) from the same father.

Azuonye attended the Methodist Central School at Okigwe, and the Presbyterian School at Abakaliki, Eastern Nigeria, for his primary school studies. His secondary and Sixth Form studies were at Government College, Umuahia. At Government College, Umuahia, he played hockey and cricket and represented the school in boxing, He was the choirmaster, School Chief Pianist, Cozens House Captain and Assistant School Captain.

At the outbreak of the Nigeria/Biafra War he enlisted in the Biafran Army, received a commission and went on to command first the 32nd Battalion Mortars and later the 73rd Brigade Mortars, 2nd Division of the Biafran Army. He was a captain when the war ended in January 1970.

Azuonye did his pre-medical year at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and completed the year with Grade Point Average of 3.78 out of a possible maximum of 4. He qualified as a medical doctor in 1976, having scored distinctions in Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology. He did his house jobs at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, and his national service as the medical officer in charge of the Churchill Maternal & Child Health Services, Port-Harcourt. Came moved to the UK for specialist training in 1979, initially in Neurology, and later in psychiatry. He received his first appointment as a consultant psychiatrist in 1985. His last appointment in the National Health Service was as a consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer at South London & Maudsley NHS Trust, the Guy's, King's College and St. Thomas's Hospitals Medical and Dental School of the University of London and the research unit of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Since May 2004 he has worked in the independent and private sector as a consultant psychiatrist, operating out of Harley Street, London, W1G 9PF and the various hospital and community services with which he has been associated. He was awarded the Floyer Prize for the Best Speciality Clinical Firm at the London Hospital Medical College in April 1991.

Has written two books about American politics and society (as a result of which he enjoyed visiting scholar status to three universities in the US) and continues to write and publish poetry. Azuonye is widely published in the medical media. His paper, A difficult case: Diagnosis made by hallucinatory voices, was published in the British Medical Journal in December 1997 and has been made into a short docudrama by Teebster Limited. His paper 'Medical evidence for the purposes of recall to hospital under Section 42(3) of the Mental Health Act 1983 was published in the Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology and was cited as an authority in Richard M Jones's Mental Health Act Manual (11th Edition)

Non-medical publications

 * Books:


 * Azuonye, I. O., America the Beautiful in our Lifetime, 1992: New York, NY; Vantage Press Inc.. ISBN 0-533-10248-0 (clothbound only). Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 92-93346.
 * Azuonye, I. O., If We Elect Her President in November of the Year 2000, 1995: London, Global Publishing Limited; ISBN 1-899732-00-4 (clothbound) and 1-899732-01-2 (paperbound).


 * Poems:


 * Azuonye, I. O., ‘Mass in G Minor’, Transition (Ghana, 1974)
 * Azuonye, I. O., ‘Gesture for Silence,’ Omabe (No. 14, April 1975; Department of English, University of Nigeria).
 * Azuonye, I. O., ‘Dissonant Voices’, African Arts (Volume 8, No. 2, Winter 1975; African Studies Center, University of California, Los Angeles).
 * Azuonye, I. O., ‘A Mother’s Complaint’ and ‘Song’, The Muse (No. 4, May 1972, English Association, University of Nigeria)
 * Azuonye, I. O., 'Far from Love', 'Night Movement of Troops', 'Waiting for the Wind', 'Sacrifice for the Fatherless', 'Lament of the Fallen', 'Young Oldsters', and 'January Themes' in the anthology Nsukka Harvest - Poems from Nsukka 1966-72
 * Azuonye, I. O., ‘Untitled I’, Sentinel Literary Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 4, July – September 2010.
 * Azuonye, I. O., ‘Someone’s Daughter’, Sentinel Literary Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 1, October – December 2010.


 * Papers and correspondence


 * Azuonye, I. O. The evolutionary foundations of prejudice-motivated crime. Psych Discourse 1994; 24(8): 5-7
 * Azuonye, I. O. America the Beautiful? Psych Discourse 1993: 24(11): 11
 * Azuonye, I. O. Hotep? Are my ears on wrong? Psych Discourse 1994; 25(3): 12-13.
 * Azuonye, I. O. The Pernicious Philosophy of Egyptism. Psych Discourse 1994; 25(5); 14-15.
 * Azuonye, I. O. A call for Discourse. Psych Discourse 1994; 25(8): 16.
 * Azuonye, I. O. On Towler (1994). Psych Discourse 1994; 24(10): 16.

Medical/scientific publications

 * Books:


 * Chapter 21 (‘Opiate Dependence in Sickle Cell Disease’) in Practical Management of Haemoglobinopathies, edited by Iheanyi Okpala. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2004 [ISBN 1-4051-0780-4]


 * Papers


 * Azuonye, I. O. Are the Insulin Men just a Joke? Medikka 1975; 1: 5-6.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Recommended Amendments to the Mental Health Act 1983. Psychiatric Bulletin 1988; 12: 525-527.
 * Azuonye, I. O. A Model of Training for Consultancy in Psychiatry. Psychiatric Bulletin 1990; 14: 543-548.
 * Azuonye, I. O. The designation of Black people in psychiatric research. British Journal of Psychiatry 1992; 161: 865-866.
 * Azuonye, I. O. The contribution of medical representatives to Consultant Psychiatrists' understanding and use of psychotropic medication. Psychiatric Bulletin 1994; 18: 779-780.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Who is 'Black' in medical research? British Medical Journal 1996; 313: 760 (September 21)
 * Azuonye, I. O. Educational Supervision Sessions between Consultant Psychiatrists and their trainees. Psychiatric Bulletin 1997; 21(3): 154-155.8) Azuonye, I. O. Diagnosis made by hallucinatory voices. British Medical Journal 1997; 315 (7123): 1685-6 (December 20/27).
 * Azuonye, I. O. The legal and contractual implications of the informal admission of psychiatric patients. Psychiatric Bulletin 1998; 22(8): 501-505
 * Azuonye, I. O. Medical evidence for the purposes of recall to hospital under Section 42(3) of the Mental Health Act 1983. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology; 18, Issue 4, [December 2007], pages 443 – 451.


 * Correspondence


 * Azuonye, I. O. A College-recommended Textbook of Psychiatry. Bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists 1984; 8: 140.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Nigerian Psychiatry. Bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists 1986; 10: 115.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Mind and Brain. Bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists 1986; 10: 118.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Approval of Doctors under Section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act 1983. Bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists 1986; 10: 211.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Overseas Graduates and the MRCPsych.  Bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists 1986; 10: 244.
 * Azuonye, I. O. When Approved Social Workers refuse to make the Application for Admission. Bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists 1987; 11: 235.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Proposed - A Preventive Psychiatry Specialist Group. Bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists 1987; 11: 317
 * Azuonye, I. O. Section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983. Bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists 1988; 12: 27.
 * Azuonye, I. O. One of our Associations is missing!! Bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists 1988; 12: 106.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Discharge Refusers. Psychiatric Bulletin 1989;13: 199-200
 * Azuonye, I. O. Health Care Buzz Word Generator. Psychiatric Bulletin 1990; 14: 177-178
 * Azuonye, I. O. Advice on Dealing with Complaints. Hospital Doctor (March 22, 1990).
 * Azuonye, I. O. Police Investigations Can Cause Undue Stress. Hospital Doctor (May 17, 1990)
 * Azuonye, I. O. Stinking Wards. Psychiatric Bulletin 1990; 14: 431
 * Azuonye, I. O. Qualifications for Appointment to Substantive Consultant Posts. Psychiatric Bulletin 1990; 14: 565-566.
 * Azuonye, I. O. 36 Questions for the M.R.C.Psych. Psychiatric Bulletin 1991; 5: 116-117
 * Azuonye, I. O. Words of Wisdom. Psychiatric Bulletin 1991; 15: 168.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Teaching Descriptive Psychopathology to Medical Students. Psychiatric Bulletin 1991; 15: 227.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Knowledge will heal Religious Divide, Hospital Doctor (April 4, 1991).
 * Azuonye, I. O. Medical Students' Participation in Psychiatric Outpatients Clinics. Psychiatric Bulletin 1991; 15: 301-302.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Training must be Practical. Hospital Doctor (May 23, 1991)
 * Azuonye, I. O. National Agreement on the Rotation of Junior and Senior Trainees, Psychiatric Bulletin 1991; 15: 373.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Which Section of the Mental Health Act - 2 or 3? Psychiatric Bulletin 1991; 15: 455.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Overcoming Trainee Inertia. Psychiatric Bulletin 1991; 15: 510-511.
 * Azuonye, I. O. A very dangerous practice. Psychiatric Bulletin 1991; 15: 576-577.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Action on anomalous aspects of the Mental Health Act 1983. Psychiatric Bulletin 1991; 15: 577.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Open patient notes could damage care. Hospital Doctor (October 3, 1991)
 * Azuonye, I. O. Do we ride a paper tiger? Psychiatric Bulletin 1991; 15: 708-709.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Time to get off the labelling bandwagon. Hospital Doctor (November 7, 1991)
 * Azuonye, I. O. Fitness to Appeal.  Psychiatric Bulletin 1992; 16: 44-45
 * Azuonye, I. O. Wisdom. Psychiatric Bulletin 1992; 16: 174.
 * Azuonye, I. O. 'Black' issues in mental health practice in the United Kingdom. Psychiatric Bulletin 1992; 16: 311.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Law gives doctors the ultimate choice. Hospital Doctor 1992; C12, No. 7:20
 * Azuonye, I. O. The designation of Black people in psychiatric research. British Journal of Psychiatry 1992; 161: 865-866.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Predictions of the demise of Psychiatry.  Psychiatric Bulletin 1992; 16: 806.
 * Azuonye, I. O. The dog did it! Psychiatric Bulletin 1993; 17: 305.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Psychiatry is more than a Science. British Journal of Psychiatry 1993; 162: 707.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Knowledge is not a disease. British Medical Journal 1994; 308: 475 (12 February)
 * Azuonye, I. O. The myth of insight. Psychiatric Bulletin 1994; 18: 184.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Ethnicity in epidemiological research: Ethnicity revolves around culture. British Medical Journal 1994; 309: 959 (8 October).
 * Azuonye, I. O. The College's ethnic monitoring exercise. Psychiatric Bulletin 1994; 18: 647-648.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Is this a paper too far? Psychiatric Bulletin 1995; 19: 328-329
 * Azuonye, I. O. Evidence-based policy-making; Academic experts don't have Monopoly on wisdom. British Medical Journal 1995; 310: 1141 (April 29).
 * Azuonye, I. O. The war on drugs: Legalisation would have to be accompanied by personal responsibility. British Medical Journal 1996; 312: 636 (March 9)
 * Azuonye, I. O. What is an Afro-Caribbean? Psychiatric Bulletin 1996;
 * Azuonye, I. O. Describing race, ethnicity and culture in medical research: Guidelines will encourage the thinking that underpins racism in Medicine. British Medical Journal 1996; 313 (7054): 426.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Psychosis in Afro-Caribbean people: "Afro-Caribbeans" could have been of Chinese, Indian, European or African extraction. British Medical Journal 1996; 312: 1157 (May 4)
 * Azuonye, I. O. What to write on Mental Health Act Form 38. Psychiatric Bulletin 1997; 21(5): 304.
 * Azuonye, I. O. Differences in mortality between African Caribbeans and European people with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus: Authors’ method of assigning ethnicity was wrong. British Medical Journal 1997; 314 (7076): 303-4.
 * Azuonye, I. O. & Ferreira J. A. Need for local policies on Section 135 of the Mental Health Act 1983. Psychiatric Bulletin 1998; 22(7): 459-460.
 * Azuonye, I. O. ‘Absconsion’. Psychiatric Bulletin 1998; 22 (9): 586.

Citations and references

 * 1) Powell, A. (2001). Quantum Psychiatry – Where Science Meets Spirit. First published in Network – the Scientific and Medical Network Review No.77: 17–21, 2001 as ‘Inspiration and Persecution – Messages from Self and Beyond’. Re-printed in Nexus Volume 9, Number 3, 2002: 51-55 as ‘Quantum Psychiatry – where Science meets Spirit’.
 * 2) Bobrow, R. S. (2003) Paranormal phenomena in the medical literature – sufficient smoke to warrant a search for fire. Medical Hypotheses 60 (6): 864 – 868.
 * 3) Bobrow, R. S. (2006) The Witch in the Waiting Room: A Physician Investigates Paranormal Phenomena in Medicine. New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press.
 * 4) Jones, S. R. and Fernyhough, C. (2008). Talking back to the spirits: the voices and visions of Emanuel Swedenborg. History of the Human Sciences 21: 1 – 31.
 * 5) Pierre, J.M. (2010). Hallucinations in Nonpsychotic Disorders: Toward a Differential Diagnosis of “Hearing Voices.” Harvard Review of Psychiatry 18: 22 – 35.
 * 6) Williams H C (2002): Have you ever seen an Asian/Pacific Islander? Archives Of Dermatology Volume: 138 Issue: 5 Pages: 673-674.