Major Public Psychiatric Hospitals in Ghana are likely to close down in two days

• Posted on May 29, 2013
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The three major public psychiatric hospitals in the country; Accra, Pantang and Ankaful psychiatric hospitals are likely to close down in two days.

The letter copied to the Health Minister, the Chief Director of the Ministry and the National Security Coordinator paints a weak financial standing of the facilities.

There is a clear warning that three facilities will close down in the next 48 hours and leave the mentally deranged persons possibly on the streets.


Below is the full letter signed by the Chief Psychiatrist, Dr. Akwasi Osei 

CRITICAL FINANCIAL SITUATION FACING ACCRA, PANTANG AND ANKAFUL PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS 

At the annual performance review of the Mental Health Services in the country held at Pantang Hospital on 9th-10th May, 2013, it came out clearly that the three psychiatric hospitals namely Accra, Pantang and Ankaful are in dire need of funds to enable them continue to offer critical and quality mental health care to patients.


Currently, the Hospitals have stocks of food items and chemicals to last them up to the end of this month, May 2013, after which they may have to discharge all patients, if they do not receive financial support before that time.


This action would be inevitable if in-patients are not be starved, and also if outbreak of an epidemic on the wards is to be avoided. They have virtually no money for overhead administrative expenditures. Already Ankaful and Pantang have stopped admissions and Ankaful, for instance, has less than 50 patients on the wards which earlier ad 300 patients. The rest of the patients, as may be expected, are on the streets in their homes or in chains in the prayer camps, further worsening our human rights record.


As I indicated in my earlier correspondence to you on the financial situation of these hospitals, some of their suppliers have ceased supplies, whilst the remaining few have threatened to stop doing business with them for non-payment of bills. Others have also threatened legal action against these hospitals to recover their money.

In order to prevent a catastrophe, should in-patient care be brought to a halt, I should be grateful if you authorize these release of funds to the three psychiatric hospitals, without further delay.


I should be grateful if appropriate steps could be taken to solve this perennial problem of lack of funds/underfunding of psychiatric hospitals to enable them function more effectively and efficiently.


It is in the view of this that I wish to reiterate my call for the inauguration of the Mental Health Board for the implementation of the Mental Health Act to enable the realisation of the benefits therein.


Thank you.


Yours Faithfully, Akwesi Osei

Chief Psychiatrist 

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