Coordinator calls on MMDAs to rehabilitate people with mental disorders

Mr. Joseph Yere, the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Mental Health Coordinator at the weekend called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country to support the treatment process and rehabilitation of people with forms of mental disorders.

He observed that mental illness remained a societal burden, treatment and rehabilitation very expensive, thus, the need for MDAs to support patients with drugs and help push them into viable socio-economic activities to make life meaningful for them.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of a refresher and dissemination meeting held in Sunyani, Mr Yere said mental health cases kept increasing with 672 cases reported this year in the three regions.

MIHOSO International in collaboration with BasicNeeds Ghana, a health centered non-governmental organizations organised the meeting, which was aimed at tracking resources for quality mental health care delivery.

Attended by District and Municipal Mental Health Coordinators and Directors of Health Services, the meeting was in line with a project titled “Accessible and Quality Mental Health for Poor and Marginalised Persons with Mental Disorders”, being implemented in the three regions by the NGOs with support from Star Ghana Foundation.

Mr. Yere indicated that lack of drugs was affecting the recovery processes of many mental health patients who could not afford to buy, saying if patients placed on drugs failed to complete the course, it worsened their condition.

He commended MIHOSO and BasicNeeds for their support towards the rehabilitation of many of the patients and appealed to MMDAs to come to their aid as well.

Mr. Fred Nantogmah, the Knowledge Management and Communication Officer of BasicNeeds Ghana said the government remained the highest resource contributor to promoting quality mental health care, but regretted that funding from the central government was not flowing.

He said apart from employing mental health workers, the government had the responsibility to provide medical supplies and drugs, build capacity of employees and help to alleviate the plight of patients.

Mr. Nantogmah appealed to the Ghana Health Service to place premium on mental health treatment and ensure that mental health units were established and adequately resourced in all public health facilities to attend to patients.