The Eastern Regional Hospital, with support from the Kabaka Foundation, has launched a project to expand and renovate its Mental Health Unit in response to increasing psychiatric cases that have caused severe congestion.
The Unit, the only residential psychiatric facility in the Eastern Region, provides care for patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and substance-related conditions involving tramadol, cannabis, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and opioids.
It also caters to children with special needs, seizure disorders, and learning difficulties.
Head of the Unit, Specialist Psychiatrist Dr. Gyanwaa Opare-Addo, revealed that the facility is overstretched due to the surge in referrals, particularly drug-related cases among the youth.
“Prior to my coming, they used to send these cases to Accra Psychiatric Hospital and the rest. But because of my presence here, most of the cases are being referred to the Eastern Regional Hospital for management.
This has become very necessary because when our patients’ numbers have increased because it is serving the whole region. And when they are on admission, they stay quiet for some time, a longer duration. And the place is quite small,” she explained.
She added that the limited space affects recovery.
“Because of the small space, the patients are unable to exercise or walk around the ward. And this makes most of them increase in weight and become dull when they are on admission.
So, this initiative or this work that Kabaka Foundation has decided to do for the hospital is going to take away all this stress and going to increase their bed capacity as well as also increase the space for the inpatient to be able to move around and get the necessary healing that they need.”
The renovation, fully funded by Kabaka Foundation through its Chairman and Founder, Nana Owiredu Wadie I, will modernize the wards with additional beds, expanded spaces, and improved safety measures.
Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Arko Akoto-Ampaw, emphasized the importance of the project.
“Everybody would understand that the issues that come with mental health have actually increased. From that point, management tried to do some extension and renovation. But then the numbers that we are looking at kept increasing. So there was the need to expand it and then repurpose it so that the outpatient department of the unit can also be included. And this is the project that KABAKA has taken on, and we are very grateful for that,” he said.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Nana Owiredu Wadie I stressed the importance of dignity in mental health care.
“This project, funded by the Kabaka Foundation, is more than just a building. It is a promise to our youth battling substance and drug abuse, to children living with mental health conditions, and to every family seeking dignity, care, and hope. Mental health is health. Every Ghanaian deserves access to quality care without stigma,” he stated.
As part of his annual birthday celebration, Nana Owiredu Wadie I also cleared medical bills worth GH¢20,000 for needy patients and donated food packs and essential supplies to both clients and staff.
He was joined by Otobour Gyan Kwasi II, Chief of Aburi and Adontenhene of Akuapem, Okyekyekro Nana Kwame Sakyi Ababio II, Chief of Abotakyi, Deputy CEO of the National Lotteries Authority, Eric Yeboah Wadie I, and other dignitaries.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
