Patients abandoned for 35 years at Accra Psychiatric Hospital

Accra, March 13, GNA - Some treated patients at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital have been abandoned by their relatives for 35 years, leading to congestion at the medical facility.

Mr Lawrence Essuman, acting Head of the Electro-convulsive Therapy Unit of the Hospital, who made this known to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said the patients had stayed at the premises without the support of their relatives.

He called on relatives of the treated inmates to come for them in order to ease the strain on the scarce resources available to the Hospital.

Mr Essuman, who is also the Vice- President of Psycho-Mental Health Foundation, which is based at the Hospital said the situation had compelled the medical authorities to reduce the intake of patients. He noted that due to the lack of beds some inmates are compelled to lie on the bare floor without cloths.

Mr Essuman called on people who have relatives at the Hospital to visit them regularly to know how they are faring. He said although mental health care was free, government alone could not bore the burden of running the day-to-day affairs of the Hospital.

Mr Essuman said his Foundation was established to solicit for external assistance to care for the inmates. He said the Foundation would form anti-drug abuse clubs in all schools to create awareness on the dangers of drug abuse. Mr Essuman appealed to public- spirited organisations and individuals to provide financial and logistics support to the Hospital.