ICGC Donates GHC 200,000 To Ghana’s Psychiatric Hospitals

The International Central Gospel Church, ICGC has donated GHC 200,000 to the Mental Health Authority.

This is for the procurement and installation of three electro- convulsive therapy machines (ECT machine) for the three psychiatric hospitals in the country (Accra, Pantang and Ankaful).

The donation was made after the 2019 edition of a 12 km Life Walk purposely in support of mental healthcare delivery in Ghana.

The walk which also formed part of the church’s 35th Anniversary Celebration saw thousands of people converge on the Independence square to participate.

The Mental health Authority has on a regular basis called for support to help it effectively carry out its operations.

It has also appealed to the government to commit more funds for the management of mental health in the country.

Founder and General Overseer of the Central Gospel Church, Pastor Mensa Otabil said the quality of mental health care delivery in the country is a source of worry.

“For some time now, I have expressed some concern about the quality of mental healthcare delivery in Ghana. It is evident that the percentage of our limited national resources allocated to this challenging aspect of healthcare is often inadequate to meet their ever-growing needs.”

It emerged that over 41% of Ghanaians have some form of psychological distress.

In 19% of these cases (approximately 1 out of every 5 Ghanaians), the distress was moderate to severe, enough to give rise to mental illness.”

According to Pastor Otabil, further deliberations with the authority showed that the  ECT machine popularly referred to as the ‘Miracle Machine’ was critical life-saving equipment needed in all psychiatric hospitals.

Although the MHA appealed for one, the church is procuring three to ease the burden on facilities.

The Chief Executive Officer of the MHA, Dr Akwasi Osei reiterated the  neglect of mental healthcare and expressed profound gratitude to the church for the gesture.

“Mental health conditions are such that unlike malaria you’re treated for three days and you’re fine, mental health conditions, you need to be treated for some time. The ECT machine shortens the duration very remarkably.

Mental health Care is an area that has been underserved as it’s been remarked by the general overseer.

“It’s an area that we assume it doesn’t exist or if it exists it affects other people instead of us. We are not given proper attention and that’s why we are very happy that you have come, you have recognized this situation and you’ve decided to devote all this walk to us. Indeed very often people know our plight but they don’t want to associate with us because they fear we will infect them”, he added.

 

Source: citinewsroom.com