Basic Needs-Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organization working in the area of mental health has targeted 800 traditional healers and prayer camp managers across the country for training on the best practices in managing mental illness.
The training seek to equip the traditional healers and prayer camp managers with knowledge mental illness, rights of mental health patients and management of mental illness.
This was disclosed by the Project Officer Basic Needs Ghana Mr. Bernard Azuure at a two-day training workshop for traditional healers in Bolgatanga on the theme ‘Basic Needs Ghana strengthening Private Non-Formal Health Services to Enhance Mental Health Services in Ghana’.
[contextly_sidebar id=”2fbQCp0hymeORPrui7Bt7rfCmVnZuD5Q”]The project, with support from UKAid aims at increasing access to non-formal health care services and referral of persons living with mental illness or epilepsy in Northern Ghana.
“Basic Needs Ghana targets to train 400 traditional healers and prayer camps each in the Northern and Southern Ghana respectively on mental illness, its causes and management and to increase referral of patients from these traditional healers and prayer camp managers to the psychiatric centers in their areas.
This has become necessary because some of these traditional healers and prayer camp managers do not understand mental illnesses care and subject patients to torture while give them concoctions for treatments without approval from the Food and Drugs Authority”.
Mr. Azuure lamented the torture of mentally ill patients at some prayer camps and traditional healers and urged regulatory authorities to swiftly clamp down on such places.
Mr. Azuure hinted that, specialist psychiatric services will be provided freely for the Builsa North and South, Talensi, Kassena Nankana East and West Districts from the 4th to 8th of September.
He entreated relatives of persons with mental illness to bring the patients for professional care.
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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana