Mental health care is becoming a critical international concern, but developing country such as Ghana is still straining to attend to the mental health needs of its suffering and stigmatized citizens. Currently, the few psychiatric hospitals are severely congested, the number of mental health professionals is staggeringly low, community and rehabilitative care is non-existent, and the law on mental health has not changed much in over thirty years.
Abandoned structure at Pantang Hospital

For All Africa Foundation(FAAF), a mental health charity has been involved in increasing the awareness of mental illness and supporting the mentally challenged, but there are still many changes that need to take place in order to secure the rights of the vulnerable, and provide equal access to mental health treatment for all Ghanaians.

Pantang Hospital's accretion of debt from insufficient funding over the past years has led to unfinished structures, outdated equipment, shortage of pre-scribers, inadequate treatment programs (i.e. rehabilitation), poor food quality, deficient road networks, old vehicles, under-supplied water and electricity, and encroachment of land and security. The hospital is constantly buying water to fill its tanks and filtered water to give to patients. Though the walls are covered in perma-dirt, and dust and a smell of sanitation chemicals lingers in the air, the facilities are much nicer and newer than at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

The Accra Psychiatric Hospital, initially built as a prison and not as a hospital, is more than 100 years old, which makes it grueling to clean and maintain. There is asbestos in the roofing, sewage system pipes have broken, and the buildings look like a rundown dog pound instead of a pristine, sanitary hospital. In fact, people in the West would be appalled by the conditions even if it actually were a place reserved for rogue dogs.

Because of funding, the Accra Psychiatric hospital has 80% of the medicine they need, and most of the medicine they are given is older generation which cause negative side effects such as twisting of the neck, numb tongues, and metabolic problems.

Uniforms are not provided so the patients are free to wear their own or donated clothes, however it is a common and disturbing sight to see people running around stark naked or half naked with tattered clothes hanging loosely of their body. The congestion of patients and the conditions of their living situation are human rights violations in and of themselves. Patients are sometimes physically or medically punished by nurses who are trying to control more patients than is feasibly possible. Besides the injustice there is also pervasive drug tracking between patients and employees. Records are also kept analog, in a room full of bulging, tattered folders.

The question is, is government ambivalent towards mental health? Why is mental health care not part of the national health insurance scheme? Why is it underfunded?

Caring for others is an expression of what it means to be fully human. Our leaders must know that where mental health concerns are ignored, the country’s broader health inevitably is impacted. And when voices are disregarded or cannot be heard, our country’s commitment to democracy can only be called into doubt. We need a state-of-the-art mental health care which delivers care to the doorsteps of every Ghanaian.

When any part of humanity is sidelined, the rest of us cannot sit on the sidelines. Mental health is a collective responsibility. Join our mental health advocacy campaign and support our work.

Writer:
Mr. James Sanahene
Executive Director
For All Africa Foundation
www.forallafricafoundation.com
info@forallafricafoundation.com