The Directorate of Psychiatric of Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in collaboration with Mental Health Authority has organized a free mental health screening to commemorate mental health month, under the theme.”mental health for all, greater investment, greater access”.
The head of department in charge of Psychiatric of Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Dr Ruth Owusu Antwi emphasized on the need to create the awareness about people’s mental health to help reduced the increment on the disease.
Dr Ruth Owusu Antwi expressed worry on the low investment in the mental health by Ghanaian’s government and Africa as well.
The Psychiatric department in Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital has been crying for expansion of their facility for several years since the oldest infrastructural development built in 1881 is still in used today which takes care for the entire middle belt and the northern region.
Dr Ruth Owusu Antwi said, patients are not able to voice out their deeper challenge in their mental issues since more than five or ten patients use the same table.
She said, this problem are above their maximum control and this is impairing on their functional in the course of their duty.
She appealed to government to increase the rehabilitation centers in the Ashanti region and expand the four (4) in the region.
She said, though the mental health delivery has improved as compared to the previous years as every Government Hospital now has psychiatrist.
She called on stakeholders and private partners to invest in mental health delivery and build more rehabilitation centers to avoid going to Ankafu in greater Accra since it increased stigmatization.
Dr Ruth Owusu Antwi said, statistics proved that this year ,the total mental issues recorded in the region are five thousand and ten (5,010) total case record.
Out of this, (2,558) two thousand five hundred and fifty eight were females and the male were (2,452) two thousand four hundred and fifty two.
She ssid that, out of this total figure, the ladies were higher due to depression, anxiety,stress due to COVID19 pandemic.
She passionately appealed to the President, Parliaments and Judicial service to repute the law on attempted to course suicide.
In Ghana we know that attempt to commit suicide is an offends because if we keep on crimilizing suicide attempt it prevents proper research into suicide, it prevents people who need real help to come out to and ask for the help.
Decriminalized suicide attempts, they chant.
Source: richnews.com
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