By Ewurabena Paha
The Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate has marked this year’s World Mental Health Day with a call on the government to improve access to mental healthcare by providing adequate psychiatric nurses and psychologists to help reduce the rising cases of suicide and related deaths.
Held under the theme “Access to services: Mental health in catastrophes and emergencies,” the Acting Regional Director of Health, Dr Robert Ameyisa, said mental health continues to be one of the country’s most critical health challenges.
He noted that data shows a high number of people living with various forms of mental illness, emphasising the need for adequate logistics and personnel to manage mental health cases effectively.
The Municipal Health Director at the Ga East Municipal Health Directorate, which hosted the event, Dr Maame Yaa Essel, together with the Regional Mental Health Officer, Alice Letse, both highlighted the need to support frontline health workers who attend to mental health patients, describing their role as essential to quality care delivery.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority, Dr Eugene Dordoye, represented by the Director of Research at the Authority, Samuel Hanu, shared worrying statistics on suicide and urged greater attention to the issue.
He revealed that nearly 200 people died by suicide last year, with many more attempting to take their own lives, noting that several cases go unreported. He called for policies and programmes that directly support people experiencing depression and anxiety.
Chief Clinical Psychologist, Mrs Charlotte Myers, underscored the importance of observing World Mental Health Day, drawing attention to often unspoken challenges such as depression and anxiety among health workers. She urged facility heads across the country to discharge their duties with empathy and professionalism to avoid triggering mental health issues among staff.
