KATH Psychiatry Unit Begs For Expansion

Authorities at the Psychiatry Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi are appealing for financial support to expand the facilities there.

The unit has not experienced any expansion works since it was established in 1981, resulting in congestion problems at the unit in recent times.

At present, the unit boasts of an 11-bed facility, which includes five beds for males and six beds for females, but the number of beds is woefully inadequate for the psychiatric unit.

Dr. Ruth Owusu-Antwi, the Head of the KATH Psychiatry Unit, has said drawings for the expansion works had been done and about GH¢1.5 million is needed to execute the project.

She has, therefore, appealed to the public, especially the well-to-do in society, to extend a helping hand to the KATH psychiatry unit for its expansion.

According to her, due to lack of space, some doctors are forced to do consultations in small corridors, adding that the confidentiality of patients is impeded as a result.

Dr. Owusu-Antwi also bemoaned that the social distancing protocol being preached to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic was also not being observed at her unit.

According to her, due to lack of beds and space, patients do not fully recover before they are sent home, a situation that has resulted in numerous cases of relapse in patients.

She said it had become necessary for the unit to embark on massive expansion works, so they could properly treat scores of patients that access healthcare there.

She said the expansion works would produce 12 beds for females and 20 beds for males, adding that there would be bigger consulting rooms and VIP wards.

According to her, when funds are secured to complete the works, there would be a bigger OPD, psychiatry pharmacy and other modern amenities.

Besides, Dr. Owusu-Antwi appealed to authorities to deploy additional clinical psychologists to KATH, noting that just one psychologist at KATH is woefully not enough.

She mentioned depression, anxiety disorder, substance misuse disorder and child and adult psychiatry as some of the conditions treated at KATH.