The sad reality of Accra Psychiatric Hospital

The health care system in Ghana has over the years remained an area of concern, with regards to delivery systems, infrastructure and several other pertinent issues.

Successive governments over the years, have either attempted a resolution or overlooked the subject altogether.

A typical point of reference is the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

A place, which is ideally meant to help mentally unstable persons recover, has now been reduced to a pale representation of what it actually stands for.

This sad state of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital was uncovered in a report compiled by GHOne TV’s Godwin Asediba.

According to the report, the hospital has over the years began to come to terms with challenges which seem not to go away even with the change in governments. Challenges that have to do with infrastructure, space as well as feeding.

At the special ward of the hospital – where mentally challenged persons are kept - the report captured the dilapidated hospital beds and walls, poor sanitary conditions, broken windows amongst several other infrastructural deficits.

Some inmates were captured lying on the bare floor due to the lack of beds.

Inmates are also left at the mercy of poor weather conditions, especially when it rains. That's not all patients at the ward suffer, the issue of space also comes to the fore.

In an interview with the Director of the hospital, Dr. Pinaman Appau, she indicated that the issue of space arose due to families’ failure to come back for their patients when they recover.

Patients who normally lose knowledge of their respective homes, families and background are always stranded and end up making the hospital their home.

She said, “Some of these people have been here over twenty years and thirty years, folders are torn, some other folders are missing. The Mental Health Authority is looking at halfway homes. This would be a place where people who are well and can be put back into society will be kept…”

Feeding was also reported to be a major challenge due to the limited funds available to the hospital.

The Hospital authorities have, however, relayed a relentless call to government and all other concerned stakeholders to come to their aid, and to families of patients, to do the needful.

Meanwhile, the country has three main mental hospitals including, the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital, and Pantang Psychiatric Hospital, as well as, other regional psychiatric units all of which are in absurd conditions.

Small private psychiatric facilities are also in operation.

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