Mental health sector needs attention

Mr Gabriel Gbiel Benarkuu, a Community and Organisation Development Consultant, has said the country’s mental health sector is beset with challenges because of lack of planning and commitment of the leaders.

He said the delay of the enactment of the Legislative Instrument (LI) for mental health was to ensure the establishment of structures and provision of adequate facilities for effective administration of mental health delivery service in the country.

Mr Benarkuu, who is also Chairman of Brong-Ahafo Network of Non-Governmental Organisations (BANGO), in an interview with Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Friday, said the Mental Health Law had made provision for the establishment of the Mental Health Council (MHC) and the National Mental Health Authority (NMHA).

He said with the existence of these bodies, mental health administration and service delivery would be strengthened to ensure the increase in the number of personnel and provision of adequate infrastructure and logistics.

Mr Benarkuu said the sector lacked adequate financial support and personnel because of the continuous neglect by successive governments, saying that was also due to the absence of the LI to give legal backing to the establishment of necessary structures.

The BANGO Chairman said with the provisions of the Mental Health Law, the Co-coordinators would be members of the Health Management Teams in their jurisdictions to co-ordinate and monitor the management of mental health service delivery.

Mr Benarkuu, who is also the Founder and Executive Director of Mission of Hope for Society Foundation (MIHISO), a Sunyani-based social and human rights organisation, said because of the neglect by the authorities, the sector did not have adequate personnel.

He said currently the entire northern sector of the country, Ashanti Region, Brong-Ahafo Region, Northern Region, Upper East Region and Upper West Region had only one psychiatric specialist, Dr Jones Takyi who is based at the Sunyani Regional Hospital.