By DisabilityNewsGH
Mental health advocates in Ghana have blamed a situation that occurred recent in which a mentally challenged woman stoned a man to death, on failure of the state to give the needed attention to mental health issues in the country.
The Alliance for Mental Health and Development (Mental Health Alliance) in a statement described the situation as an unfortunate and avoidable one.
It was widely published in the Ghanaian media on August 1, 2022, that a pillion rider on a moving ‘Okada’ on the circle interchange in Accra, was struck by a mentally challenged woman.
An eyewitness said that when the victim fell off the motorbike, the woman pounced on him and attacked him with a large stone.
“The man died before passersby arrived at the scene”, the eyewitness added.
Police later apprehended the woman after a mob had threatened to lynch her.
The Alliance for Mental Health and Development asserted that the situation could have been avoided had the state and relevant institutions taken mental health issues seriously.
“This unfortunate and avoidable incident could have been prevented had the state and the relevant institutions prioritized mental health and given it the needed attention it deserves”.
In 2012, the Government of Ghana enacted the mental health law–Mental Health Act 2012, Act 846, to address the numerous challenges affecting the quality of mental health service delivery in Ghana. The Mental Health Act 2012, Act 846 provided for the establishment of the Mental Health Authority with the responsibility of (a) proposing mental health policies and ensuring their implementation; (b) implement mental health policies; (c) promote mental health and provide humane care; and (d) promote a culturally appropriate, affordable, accessible, and equitably distributed, mental health care.
To ensure that the Mental Health Authority discharges its mandate effectively, Section 24 of the Act provided for the establishment of Mental Health Review Tribunal, while Section 34 provided for the establishment of Visiting Committees for each region. Additionally, Section 80 of Act 846 provided for the establishment of a Mental Health Fund.
The Mental Health Alliance said, “Since the passage of the Mental Health Act in 2012, there has not been funding committed to the Mental Health Fund to ensure efficient and effective mental health service delivery in Ghana. The committees that were supposed to provide critical mental health support services at the district, regional, and national levels have still not been formed. These have made mental health service delivery in the country difficult”.
The mental health advocates further disclosed that various CSOs, NGOs, and other non-state actors made several efforts, including using research findings and evidence such as the Investment Case for Mental Health in Ghana to inform duty bearers about the benefits of investing in mental health and the consequences of not doing so, however, official response had been slow.
The Alliance argued that a well-resourced mental health sector would have ensured professional evaluation, treatment, rehabilitation, and reintegration of persons with mental health conditions in the street back to their families and communities.
“Additionally, the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies are also responsible for persons with mental conditions within their catchment areas as stipulated in Section 73(4) of the Act”, it added.
“Whilst the Mental Health Alliance congratulates the Ghana Police Service for swiftly rescuing the woman from instant mob injustice, we once again call on Government of Ghana as a matter of urgency to: 1. speedily establish the Mental Health Fund, 2. establish the Mental Health Review Tribunal and the Visiting Committees and 3. The Ministry of Finance should prioritise the release of approved budgetary allocations to the Mental Health Authority and Psychiatric/specialized Hospitals to enable them to provide the needed mental health care to the good people of Ghana, to prevent the occurrence of this incidence in the future” the statement demanded.
The Alliance for Mental Health and Development (Mental Health Alliance) is a national network of over three hundred CSOs, NGOs, and CBOs engaged in mental health advocacy in Ghana. It has eight regional chapters in the Upper East, Upper West, Northern (Northern, Savannah and North-East), Brong Ahafo (Bono, Bono East and Ahafo), Ashanti, Greater Accra, Volta, Central, and Eastern Region.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com