Two District Assemblies- Nkoranza North and Kintampo South- in the Bono East Region have supported some people with mental health conditions to access drugs and engaged them in employable skill training to better their lives.
The Nkoranza North presented sewing machines and a cash of GhC1,000.00 each to three people whose conditions were now stable to engage in dressmaking, while Kintampo South also donated GHS 1,000.00 each to two patients to access medications.
The assistance followed extensive engagements between the assemblies and MIHOSO International Foundation, a non-government organisation, as part of the foundation’s advocacy programme aimed at helping to improve the livelihoods of people with mental health conditions in the two districts.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Jema, the Kintampo South capital, Mr Samuel Gyamena, the District Coordinating Director said additionally the Assembly presented working tools to other people with forms of disabilities in the area.
He said the Assembly was ready to support people with disabilities, including those with mental health challenges to go into employable skill training and therefore, advised them to register with the Assembly to get assistance to acquire decent jobs.
Mr Thomas Benarkuu, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Operations, MIHOSO told the GNA people with various mental health conditions ought to be supported to live meaningful lives in the society.
He commended the two district assemblies for the support and appealed to other assemblies in the region to emulate that, saying persons with mental health problems also had potential in them.
In another interview, Mr Stephen Awiti, the Nkoranza North District Mental Health Coordinator expressed appreciation to the district assembly for its continuous support in helping to improve the conditions of people with mental disorders in the area.
He said cases of mental health including suicide tendencies, epilepsy, bipolar and depression were recording disturbing trends in the area and appealed to the government to endeavour to provide drugs for patients.
Mr Awiti expressed concern about the intermittent shortages of medications, which he added, were worsening the conditions of some of the patients and appealed to corporate bodies and philanthropists to also come to the aid of the patients to access drugs.
He also expressed concern about alcoholism and drug abuse among the youth in the area, as well as high cases of divorce which were partly contributing to increasing cases of mental health in the area.
Mr Thomas Tonglazi, the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Coordinator of the Alliance for Mental Health appealed to the government to provide economic livelihood alternative programmes to support people with mental health conditions.
That, he said, would fetch them jobs and empower them to access drugs regularly to aid their healing processes.
Mr Tonglazi said societal stigmatization and discrimination of people with mental problems remained a huge challenge which must be addressed, saying because of the stigma some parents hid their children with disorders in the homes.
He expressed appreciation to the two district assemblies for supporting the patients, and expressed the hope that they would extend the support to benefit more patients.
GNA