An office in the rehabilitation center
Families of mental patients within the Ketu South Municipality and its environs can now heave a sigh of relief after a fully furnished rehabilitation centre was inaugurated by a German NGO based in Aflao to cater for the anomally.
The NGO, On the Move e.V., which has been helping communities in the Ketu South Municipality since its arrival in 2012, decided to extend its benevolent service to people living with mental illness.
The modern facility “Home of Brains” sited at Aflao will offer people with mental problems counseling, vocational and technical training, and social skills at absolutely no cost.
The project which is the third initiative by the organization in the region is expected to take affected persons through three to six months rehabilitation process before they are discharged from the facility for monitoring.
The rehabilitation process is also aimed at discouraging society from stigmatizing and discriminating against people living with mental illness and their families.
A Medical Doctor and Country Director for the NGO in Ghana, Dr. Rick Wolthusen noted that they have been working in the community for some time and for the past few years, over 300 people have been treated. “As I am speaking now, eight patients have been admitted and will be undergoing our services,” he said.
He, however, expressed worry over the lackadaisical attitude by authorities towards mental health issues in the country which, according to him, is giving rise to the condition.
“Mental illness is on the rise with more than three million Ghanaians being affected every year, yet little is being done to turn the situation around”.
Dr. Rick Wolthusen bemoaned the lack of adequate psychiatric hospitals in the country saying “looking at Ghanaian population, I think three psychiatric hospitals (Accra, Pantang and Ankaful) are not enough.”
He raised strong objection to public perception of mental patients and called on all and sundry to empathize with them to better their condition.
Dr. Rick Wolthusen appealed to the government and the general public to support the organization to put smile on the faces of people living with mental conditions.
The Deputy Director of Nursing, Volta Region Health Directorate, Vivian Nutassey, who took a familiarization tour of the facility applauded the project and promised her outfit’s active participation in the activities of Home of Brains.
The NGO’s initiatives in the Region include: “Brain Awareness and Brain Cycles” project in 2015, renovation of Denu Health Centre and other forms of support to the Ketu South Municipal Hospital since 2012.
From Collins Anku, Ho (collinsselasime10@gmail.com)