Management of the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital in Cape Coast, has organized an end-of-year Christmas party for inmates, to bring smiles on their faces and make them feel at home.

Mr. Godwin Kojo Pongo, Deputy Director in charge of Administration said the get-together was necessary because by virtue of their situation, the inmates could not join their families to celebrate the Christmas festivities, and therefore needed to have a feel of it.

“At this particular time, everybody is expected to go back to their families as family reunion, but they will not be able to have that opportunity because of their condition, so we are creating it here for them to feel at home,” he added.

He said the hospital was in dire need of infrastructure, as many of its buildings were seriously crying for renovation, toilet facilities in bad conditions, and roofing in deplorable state, coupled with inadequate and faulty laundry and other machines.

He mentioned that the hospital could accommodate 500 inmates, but due to its numerous challenges, it was currently admitting less than 100 patients, and therefore called on philanthropists to come to their aid, and fund the activities of the hospital.

Mr. Pongo appealed to government to ensure the regular and consistent release of funds, drugs and other logistics, as well as the posting of more doctors and nurses to help in treating the patients.

Dr.Kwaw Amah Arloo, Medical Director of the Hospital said that mental illness was just like any other sickness, and that anyone was likely to have it.

Therefore, he cautioned that people who have mental problems should not be discriminated against.

He advised Ghanaians not to see the sickness as a curse that has no cure, but rather they should bring them to the hospital early so that they can be treated.

He expressed worry about the behaviour of some relatives who abandoned their relative patients at the hospital, whilst others failed to bring them for review, and appealed to such relatives to stop that practice.

Mr. Arloo was, however, grateful to non-governmental organizations, churches and individuals who had supported the hospital in diverse ways, and appealed to benevolent organizations to adopt some of the wards if possible.

Diana Ahiabor, a nurse at the hospital, lamented bitterly about the unavailability of logistics to facilitate their work, saying that it often made work of the nurse very difficult, and urged corporate institutions touched by the plight of the inmates, to support them.

The Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital, a 500-bed facility, was built in June 1965, and serves the Central, Western and Ashanti Regions, as well as some neighboring countries.