News
KATH Psychiatric unit cries for space
Inadequate space at the Psychiatric unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) is having a negative effect on quality healthcare.
The unit has been seeing about 15,000 patients, every year, but has space for only 11 beds, something that is hampering quality care delivery.
Doctors and nurses are sometimes forced to sit in the corridors to provide services.
This, according to the Head of the Psychiatric unit, Dr Ruth Owusu-Antwi, “is too bad for patient-doctor confidentiality”.
The unit, established in 1981, has not seen any expansion over the years, and the continued increase in admissions and Out-Patients Department (OPD) cases are putting intense pressure on it.
Doctors, she said, were often compelled to discharge patients earlier than they should – before their full recovery.
In a chat with this Paper, Dr Owusu-Antwi indicated that prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus and subsequent imposition of the lockdown, daily reported cases were between 12 and 15, but this has shot up to about 20 and 25 cases.
Making a passionate appeal to individuals and organisations to support the facility to complete an expansion project it had started, Dr Owusu-Antwi noted the unit had been recording more mental cases after the lifting of the partial lockdown in the greater Kumasi and other parts of Ghana.
Follow up cases had also increased to about 120 from the pre-lockdown figures which ranged between 80 and 100 cases.
She made reference to a recent study conducted at the Accra, Pantang and KATH Psychiatry, which showed that the latter “has the highest relapse rate” and said this was attributable to the situation where patients were made to go home when they were not fully recovered, and said “we need an expansion for quality health delivery”.
Dr Owusu-Antwi gave some causes of psychiatric problems as post-partum (depression that occurs after childbirth), psychosis, depression, anxiety disorder and substance dependency disorders.
She stressed the determination of the unit to continue to provide quality professional psychiatric services to improve the mental health of the people despite the constraints and called for more clinical psychologists to be employed by the government to assist in handling the rising cases of mental illness.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
In a world where fathers are increasingly consumed by work and the pursuit of financial security, Bishop Michael Quartey, the Regional Overseer of the Perez Chapel International, has urged fathers to prioritise spending quality time with their children.
This, he said makes them develop trust, love and sense of security in building confident responsible adults.
Bishop Michael Quartey made this known in an interview with The Spectator ahead of the Father’s Day celebration tomorrow.
He noted that while many fathers are providing the financial needs of their families, children also require emotional support, guidance and quality time from their fathers.
“A lot of children are engaged in a lot of negative things just because of the absence of their fathers and it is about time we sit up.”
Bishop Quartey explained that fatherhood goes beyond meeting financial obligations and involves being physically and emotionally present in the lives of their children.
“Fathers serve as role models whose actions and decisions often influence the values and attitudes of their children” he disclosed.
He also elaborated that regular communication, participation in school activities and involvement in children’s daily life could significantly strengthen family bonds and contribute to the overall well –being of the children.
He added that though the modern day fathers are doing so well, we need to continue to change the narrative by putting in extra effort in the upbringing of our children.
“Being a father is a great joy and it is very necessary for fathers to be celebrated because they go through a lot,” he indicated.
Mr Quartey used the opportunity to encourage all fathers to continue doing their best and pray for their children as well.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
A new cultural, trade, and diplomatic platform celebrating Ghana-Norway ties was launched on Saturday, June 13, at Palms by Eagles Hotel, Accra.
Dubbed the ‘Akwaaba Nsuo & Velkommen Fjord Durbar 2026’, the event draws on the symbolism of Ghana’s rivers, -Nsuo, and Norway’s fjords to highlight water as a shared cultural, economic, and environmental identity.
The three-day event is scheduled for July 31 – August 2, 2026 in Oslo, Norway. Activities will include a trade exhibition, durbar of chiefs, and B2B networking sessions.
Speaking at the launch, CEO of the Durbar, Kofi Mulan, said Ghana’s rivers like the Volta, Pra, and Ankobra have long sustained livelihoods through fishing, transport, and spirituality.
“Similarly, Norway’s fjords represent the cornerstone of its maritime heritage, global leadership in ocean industries, and environmental stewardship,” Mr Mulan added.
“These parallel relationships with water form the philosophical and thematic spine of the entire event. The Akwaaba Nsuo & Velkommen Fjord Durbar 2026 is therefore framed as a convergence of heritage and innovation,” he said.
Organisers say participants will benefit from Global visibility and cultural diplomacy in Europe, stronger ties with Norway, and increased market access for exports like fashion, crafts, agribusiness, and processed goods under AfCFTA frameworks on the Ghana side.
On the Norway side, they noted access to Norwegian expertise in maritime technology, aquaculture, and renewable energy, plus opportunities in fisheries, offshore energy, and sustainability projects.
The Durbar is positioned as a high-level exchange platform to deepen trade and diplomatic relations between Ghana and Norway.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
