A mental health expert, Dr Jim Crabb has dispelled the notion that blood tonic could cure mental retardation, and enjoined parents and guardians to rather encourage and stimulate their children with the condition.
“It is not possible to cure mental retardation with medicine, do not buy any tonics to cure mental retardation, they are expensive and they do not work,” he said in a manual developed by BasicNeeds – Ghana, a pro mental health organisation.
The Ghana Health Service in partnership with BasicNeeds produced the 149-page manual titled: “Essential skills for mental health care,” to help health care providers upgrade their knowledge on mental health care in the country.
It is also designed to help psychiatric doctors and nurses, clinical psychologists and general health workers to deliver quality health care to persons with mental illness.
Dr Crabb said mental retardation occurs when the brain is not developed properly and could happen when there are problems during child birth or when a child has a serious illness when they are young.
He said persons with the condition could slowly learn new things and make progress with support from the family to enjoy a happy life.
“Try and encourage the child to carry out simple tasks, to make the tasks easier to learn, break them down into smaller tasks.
“Try and stimulate the child, talk to them and give them praise and rewards when they succeed in any activity,” he added.
Dr Crabb refuted the belief that mental retardation is caused by witchcraft or spirits and that it is not infectious, insisting, “You cannot get it from touching or sharing food”.
He said people with mental retardation have a special condition and that they are not stupid or lazy people.
Mental health experts say 40 per cent of all people attending health clinics have some kind of mental illness and four of the topmost disabling conditions in the world are mental illness.
But in Ghana psychiatric professionals are acutely in short supply compelling BasicNeeds Ghana to step in with a nationwide training programme for health workers to alleviate the situation.
Mr Sunday Anaba, Projects Officer, BasicNeeds, Accra, told the Ghana News Agency that the organisation has trained 112 health workers in Ga West while 80 are under training in Ledzorkuku Krowor, Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra Region.
He said BasicNeeds is currently working in five sub metros in Accra and is working to scale up the training programme in other districts in the region and cross the country to ensure mentally sick persons receive quality health care and live a normal life.
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