Increasing number of mentally challenged persons in the streets of Sekondi-Takoradi

• Posted on July 3, 2023July 3, 2023
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

In Sekondi-Takoradi it is common to observe quite a lot of mentally challenged people on the streets and many are of the view that it poses a threat to society.

In August 2022, a young man was stoned to death by a mentally challenged woman at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra.

This sad incident raised many questions about mentally ill people on the streets and how dangerous they are to society.

After almost a year, nothing has been done about the situation.
The question remains, who is responsible for them?
Their family, the society or the Ghana Health Service?

In an exclusive interview with Skyy News, Mental Health Nurse, Mrs Deborah Owusu-Achiaw made it known that caring for the mentally challenged people on the streets is the responsibility of all.

According to her, it is not the duty of the health workers alone but the society also has a role to play.

She noted that, when mentally challenged people on the streets become agitated, anybody can become a victim.

However, the society which is supposed to care for them tends to stigmatize them because of their state of being mentally ill.

This, she described as a major challenge in the fight of getting rid of the mentally challenged off the streets.

Mrs Owusu Achiaw further indicated that some of the challenges the health workers face in caring for the mentally challenged include being sidelined when it comes to certain operations within the service. She mentioned a lack of supervision and inadequate resources to embark on sensitization programs. She said that even though some of the workers are willing to do their best to make the public aware of the situation, the lack of resources is a hindrance to that cause.

Mrs Owusu-Achiaw further admonished the members of the public to help the health workers to be able to care for the mentally challenged people in our society, especially their relatives. She added that, when the person recuperates and comes back home, the family, the work colleagues, the church and society as a whole must come together to integrate the person back into society.

She made a call on stakeholders to turn an eye to the mental health service and support them to be able to render their services effectively for the benefit of all.

-Skyy Power