A German Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), ‘On The Move e.V.’ in partnership with the Ketu South Municipal Hospital (KSMH) in the Volta region has restored lives of some ten mentally challenged persons since 2016.
These ten people, according to records of the NGO and KSMH, are back into the world and currently engage in work activities for survival.
According to the Ketu South Municipal Health Director, Joseph Kwami Degley, ‘On The Move e.V.’, which supports health care related projects in the Ketu South District for more than six years partnered with the hospital since 2015. Both stakeholders have successfully implemented educational brain awareness activities in the past and opened the Centre for Mental Health, ‘Home of Brains’ last year. These activities aim to help create awareness on mental health issues and to give hope to patients.
‘Home of Brains’ is also a place for psychiatric rehabilitation. The centre initially took in six patients who were on medication from the hospital, took them through six months of rehabilitation, after which it took an additional eight patients.
Mr Kwami Degley explained that these fourteen patients during their rehabilitation process were taken through social and emotional skills training as well as vocational training such as tailoring, shoemaking, bicycle repairing, and gastronomy among others.
He indicated that four out of the 14 could not stay for the entire rehabilitation but the ten who successfully completed the training are now back in their respective communities working to fend for themselves.
Mr Kwami Degley made this known during a meeting held to partner with religious and traditional leaders drawn from various communities in Ketu South on how to find lasting solutions to mental illness in the area.
The purpose of the partnership is to bring together religious, traditional leaders in the area and medical personnel to offer the best care practices for affected patients and their caregivers.
Briefing the participants during the meeting, Dr Rick Wolthusen said: “Mental illness needs to be seen through different lenses and that the medical professionals can learn from the traditional and religious leaders and vice versa. This holistic approach will tackle some of the current challenges related to mental health in Ghana.”
Dr Wolthusen said ‘On The Move e.V.’ is looking forward to work as a team with their partners saying “…we want to work on long-lasting solutions with them and not imposing the solution. We have to keep the social change process in mind, which will take some time. I believe that is what makes our approach unique.”
One of the NGO’s doctors, Dr Michael VanElzakker took the participants through the functions of the brain and how to ensure a healthy brain system. He also used the meeting to raise awareness about bad drug abuse.
“Alcohol will definitely affect the brain, especially someone who takes it frequently, anything that you will take in and it will make you feel different is not safe for the brain,” he said.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the area, Edem Elliott Agbenorwu, who graced the meeting, was grateful for the initiative and pledged his support.
The meeting was also used to dialogue on how to allocate resources for the advancement of the partnership. They called on the general public to support in cash and kind.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/ Albert Kuzor
