Mental Health Authority puts up structures for quality mental health care
The Mental Health Authority (MHA) is undergoing “a silent evolution” in terms of putting up proper structures that will bring about quality in mental health care, the Chief Executive Officer of the MHA, Dr Akwasi Osei, has stated.
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He said the authority had embarked on a decentralisation programme by forming regional mental health sub-committees, whose members would be the regional representatives of the health board in the regions to bring their concerns to the authority at the national level.
He also said the authority would go further to form district sub-committees to handle issues of mental health care at the district levels and make such services widespread, affordable and accessible to all patients.
Addressing the second performance review of the MHA in Ho, Dr Osei said since it came into existence two years ago, the MHA had performed creditably to improve mental health care in the country, and added that the authority had established a fund to complement government’s effort in offering crucial medication for the treatment of mental patients.
Establishment of tribunals
He said the authority had decided to take a critical look at ways to address issues of human rights violation against mental patients, and pointed out that it would establish tribunals and visiting committees would deal with issues concerning human rights violation of persons with mental disorders.
With the establishment of the tribunals, he said, “anybody who violates the rights of a person with mental disorder would be hauled before the tribunal and sanctioned appropriately.”
He said although there was a law that prohibited chaining of mental patients, people with mental disabilities still experienced a wide range of human rights violations, including being chained, especially at some prayer and healing centres and even at homes.
He said the authority would intensify its ongoing training programmes for the various prayer camps on how to handle patients in their care, so as to apply the whip to those who contravened the law.
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In a speech read on his behalf by the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Appiah Denkyira, the Minister of Health, Mr Alex Segbefia, said mental health had taken centre stage in the country’s health sector policy agenda and, therefore, as an authority, it should adopt new strategies to improve on quality care for patients.
Global attention
The minister stated that mental health was receiving a lot of attention globally because it was gradually becoming a significant burden on the health system and resources.
The MHA, he said, should work hard to bring about an attitudinal change in the treatment of the mentally ill in the society through its advocacy programmes.
He advised that the authority should focus on establishing training programmes, continual professional development initiatives and strictly monitor performance in the area of service delivery to achieve results.
He acknowledged, however, that the authority in the last few years was gradually meeting its expectation of re-organising institutions and systems to focus on mental health, pointing out that though there were challenges, the ministry was ready to support the authority to take the necessary steps that would bring about the desired change.
Control stigmatisation
The Board Chairman of the MHA, Professor J.B. Asare, said stigmatisation associated with mental illness continued to be a problem and called for more public education for people to show love and dignity to patients.
He further advised the staff to continue to adopt new approaches and good practices towards mental health care.