Accra, Feb. 2, GNA - Mr Lance Montia, representative of Basic Needs-Ghana, an international nongovernmental organisation (NGO) based in Accra, on Friday advised Ghanaians not to associate mental illness with superstition.
He said Ghanaians had adopted an attitude of sending mentally ill people to shrines and prophets instead of hospitals, where they would be medically treated.
Mr Montia said these when Basic Needs-Ghana and Mindfreedom-Ghana, another NGO, signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to work together in the area of mental health and development in the country. He said the two NGOs would work together to help to ease the stigmatization of mentally ill people in the society and also ensure quality health care for the mentally ill in Ghana.
Mr Montia said since its establishment seven years ago, Basic Needs-Ghana had ensured that the fundamental rights of the mentally ill were brought to the fore, adding; "people need to understand that mental illness is no respecter of persons".
Mrs Janet Amegatcher, Director of Mindfreedom-Ghana, appealed to the Government to build more mental hospitals, especially in the North, since all the hospitals and mental institutions were located in the southern part of the country.
She asked for Government's support for NGOs working in the area of mental health care.
Mrs Amegatcher expressed the hope that with the coming together of the two organisations, the needs of the mentally sick would be highlighted.
