“Dumsor” has adverse psychological effects – Psychologist

Psychologist Dr Annie Gaisie says the erratic power situation can have a negative psychological effect on people.

“It causes a lot of anxiety, it can create depression, lots of stress and it can cause lots of behaviour problems in children,” Dr Gaisie explained on her Wellness programme on Starr 103.5FM Thursday.

She said the deprivation of power at homes could suppress people’s happy hormones and consequently plunge them into unsavoury psychological states, since tonnes of research have shown that “darkness doesn’t do too much for us.”

Ghana’s worsening power crisis has resulted in a load shedding exercise by state energy distributor Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

There is a production shortfall which has come about due to lack of gas from the West Africa Gas Pipeline in Nigeria to power some thermal plants across Ghana to supplant production. Also the country’s three hydro-electric power stations: Akosombo, Bui and Kpong are not running at their full capacity due to low hydrology. The Akosombo Dam which supplies close to 40 percent of Ghana’s power needs is running just four of its six engines. State power producer Volta River Authority (VRA) has given indications that a third engine might be turned off if the situation persists.

Also, the 400-Megawatt Bui Dam has largely been off the production chain. It is only used in emergency situations. President John Mahama and his Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor have said the country is importing two power barges from Turkey at a cost of $250 million to shore up production in the interim by about 450 Megawatts. The barges are expected in the country by April.

The main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) recently went on a demonstration in the national capital to raise concerns about the frustrations Ghanaians are being put through as a result of the power crisis.