Do more to support mental
health
I wish to call on the Government
to fast track the implementation of the Mental Law to ensure that the right
structures were in place for effective and efficient mental health delivery in
the country.
Reports that Ghana’s mental health service delivery falls short of 97
per cent treatment gap is worrying. According to Dr. Akwasi Osei, the Chief
Psychiatrist, 97 out of a100 mental patients, who require health care, do not
get it.
It is unfortunate that mental health services in Ghana is
mostly limited to three specialized psychiatric hospitals in Accra and Kumasi
serving a small proportion of the population and with relatively less funding.
Another worrying situation is the challenge of staffing at these
hospitals. It is appalling that there are only 12 practicing psychiatrists and
12, 700 psychiatric nurses serving over the 25 million people of this country.
I agree with Dr. Osei, when he called for the restructuring and
overhauling of the mental health care system and implementation of mental
health law to improve the situation.
I appealed to relatives of persons with mental illness to support them seek
professional assistance, instead of sending them to spiritualist and prayer
camps for solutions where they are molested, chained and beaten.
