The Accra Psychiatric Hospital says plans are far advanced to totally clear mentally challenged persons off the streets of Accra soon.
Although Parliament passed the Mental Health Bill to ensure that standards, conditions and rights of mentally challenged persons are observed, most of these persons still do not have access to basic care.
The Accra psychiatric hospital in a bid to clear patients off the streets and offer basic care, initiated a special programme dubbed “Operations Clear the Streets” some months ago.
The decision is in line with the Mental Health Authority Act which emphasizes the need for mentally challenged patients to enjoy quality health care services.
The patients who will be cleared off the streets will be admitted at the Accra Psychiatric hospital and later handed over to their respective families after recovery.
The hospital has however indicated that it will admit about ten mentally challenged people at a time due to challenges with personnel and logistics at the hospital.
“We don’t have logistics, we don’t have adequate human resource, we don’t have medications we don’t have money to run,” the Director of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Dr. Akwasi Osei said.
He was however hopeful the Mental Health law will tackle those challenges.
Dr. Osei further stated that some patients have been treated while others are still undergoing treatment.
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana