Mental Health Patients Get Support

As part of plans to strengthen mental health delivery in the country, all district hospitals are expected to receive 10 beds for patients with mental illnesses.

Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Minister of Health has stated that the government is working tirelessly to ensure the initiative materialises.

“We have given directives and it has started…we have also started sending and training specialised mental health nurses as down as to our chip compounds,” he said.

Mr. Agyeman-Manu made the disclosure at an event organised by Pumpkins Foundation in collaboration with Cerebral Palsy Ghana, to commemorate World Cerebral Palsy Day on the theme “Neglect of Positive Action on Cerebral Palsy; A scar on the conscience of the world.”

The minister reiterated the individual’s right to good health enshrined in the constitution and asked that Ghanaians push to ensure that their privileges are met.

“So, all those with these condition, the government has an obligation towards them but nobody is pushing government to do that,” he noted.

Cerebral Palsy (CP)

Mr James Gawu, Founder of the Health Support Foundation, explained that the neurological disorder usually appears during infancy or early childhood of the victim and permanently affects body movement and muscle coordination.

In order to avoid this ill health, he advised that parents take very good care of their children in order to avoid falls and injuries and seek prompt medical care when an injury occurs.

Mr Gawu said pregnant women should take their antenatal care seriously indicating that immunisation of children must not be taken for granted.

Mrs. Baisiwa Dowuona-Hammond, Executive Director for Pumpkins Foundation suggested that children with this disorder, be given the needed care and love because they are unique.

World CP Day

World Cerebral Palsy Day (CP) is a social movement and a day to celebrate and affirm the lives of the over 17 million people living with the disease.

To commemorate the day today in Ghana, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection would enrol persons living with CP onto the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme.

According to the Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms Gifty Twum Ampofo, even though the money allocated is not huge, “it can buy sanitary pads and diapers for them so that their rooms will smell good.”

“The patients will be enrolled before the end of this year,” she said and explained that the cash transfer was to help ease the financial stress on parents and guardians of persons living with CP.

Source: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]