Editorial
We must get mental patients off the streets
On August 4, 2022, the Ghanaian Times reported that over 16,000 mentally challenged patients roamed the streets of Ghana resulting in attacks and assaults by mental patients on innocent people.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Mental Health Authority, Professor Akwasi Osei attributed this to the lack of funds to remove the mental patients off the streets hence their presence on the streets leading to the increasing number of attacks on innocent citizens.
According to him, “the mentally challenged are to be confined to the psychiatric hospitals for treatment but the lack of funds is making it difficult to get rid of them off the streets” and appealed to the government to provide funding for the removal of these patients from the streets to prevent further incidents.
It is so scary and disturbing to see mental patients roaming the streets, especially in the cites, with some naked and others carrying dangerous weapons and threatening people nearby.
Some mental patients have even butchered or murdered children and adults causing loss and unforgettable pain to families but sadly they (the mental patients) rather walk freely on posing further danger to the citizenry.
There have been reports where some mentally deranged persons have even raped women going about their daily activities at knife point.
Although mental illness can occur as a result of life’s challenges such as marital, excessive abuse of drugs or alcohol among others, in some families it is genetic and one needs to be careful of how the mentally ill are treated.
The Spectator is happy about the call for support to mental patients which is a step in the right direction and the earlier we get rid of the mentally challenged people from our streets the better it will be for the citizenry to move about without fear or panic
We are all at risk of these attacks, therefore, the government must make mental health a priority in its agenda by providing adequate funds to deal with the situation for the safety of all.
Reports from the Chief Psychiatrist say that seven years ago, some funding was made available “from which mental patients were taken off the streets gradually back to the psychiatric hospitals, treated free of charge and reintegrated into the communities with their relations but ever since the funding ran out, this is the situation we have found ourselves.”
We are surprised that this noble agenda was stopped; we appeal to the government through the Ministry of Health (MoH) to find a lasting solution to the problem of mental patients posing insecurity to the rest of the citizenry.
The Spectator joins Prof Osei in his advocacy for “the government to establish a Mental Health Fund (MHF) through the introduction of at least GH¢0.50 levy charged on the monthly salary of all workers of the formal sector” which would substantially be enough to cater for mental health treatment for the country.
It is equally important for family members not to neglect their relatives who are mentally deranged as this could cause a relapse but to support and give them the needed love and care to make them stable.
Authorities must ensure that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHS) which was supposed to have covered mental patients’ treatment is implemented to enable relatives of the mentally deranged take them to the hospital for treatment so they do not end up on the streets.
The government must also supply the psychiatric hospitals with the needed logistics such as adequate drugs for both inmates and out-patients and build more health institutions across the country to accommodate the mentally deranged who are on the streets.
Additionally, the government should improve conditions of health practitioners so they will deliver their services promptly.
As a country, there is the need to give much attention to mental health which is a shared responsibility in order to get rid of mental patients off the streets.
Editorial
Parents urged to take responsibility for sex education
Dr. Francis Wuobar, a Gynaecologist at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua has urged parents to take the lead in providing sex education to their children, stressing that they were in the best position to guide them through the changes of adolescence.
According to him, sex education remained a taboo subject in most Ghanaian homes, a culture that must change to prevent children from seeking misleading information elsewhere.
“With the evolving nature of society and technological advancements, today’s children will either learn about sex on the internet or from their peers, who may offer wrong advice,” he cautioned.
Dr. Wuobar noted that the health system and society often concentrate on the reproductive stage of life, neglecting the adolescent and menopausal phases.
“When a woman reaches the reproductive period and gets pregnant, everyone rallies around her. But before that stage, during adolescence, there is little attention and guidance, which has contributed to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy,” he explained.
He observed that many adolescents lack access to counseling and adolescent clinics, creating a vacuum that forces them to explore on their own.
“The answers they seek, adults and parents are not willing to provide. Their peers, who are equally uninformed, become their only source of advice. This exploration is one of the major contributors to teenage pregnancy,” he said.
Dr. Wuobar therefore called on parents to create open and confidential spaces for discussion, where children can freely ask questions about sex, puberty, and relationships.
He emphasized that parents must help adolescents understand the consequences of unprotected sex, the changes they go through, and what choices were right or wrong.
“Today’s generation is curious and asks questions, unlike in the past when children were silent. Parents should not rebuke them but rather engage them seriously and guide them through this turbulent stage,” he advised.
He further appealed to the health sector to establish more adolescent clinics across the country to give young people safe spaces to seek information and counseling.
That, he said, would help reduce the high incidence of teenage pregnancy and support adolescents in making informed decisions about their sexual health.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Editorial
Addressing unhealthy conditions at Akropong Mandela Market
Dear Editor,
The Akropong Mandela Market, a vibrant centre of commerce, has been in a terrible state for over a decade now.
Central to the problem is a public toilet located near the market, which has become a breeding ground for diseases and a source of discomfort for both food vendors and customers.
This toilet, utilised by everyone in the town, is positioned too close to the market, severely affecting the vendors who spend long hours selling their goods.
They are constantly exposed to unsanitary conditions mixed with foul odours emanating from the facility.
Agnes, a vendor at the market is sad about the apparent lack of concern from those responsible for maintaining the toilet. Despite collecting user fees, there seems to be little effort to keep the facility clean and hygienic.
The situation at the Akropong Mandela Market highlights the urgent need for effective waste management and sanitation infrastructure in public spaces.
Authorities must take immediate action to ensure the facility is regularly maintained and cleaned. Vendors and customers deserve a safe and healthy environment to conduct their daily activities.
In the meantime, the vendors are urging local government officials to intervene and find a lasting solution to this problem.
Only through collective action can the health and well-being of both vendors and customers be safeguarded to restore the Akropong Mandela Market to its former glory as a thriving commercial hub.
Addo Sarah Ansah Student,
UNIMAC–IJ(BACS26275)
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