Tema General Hospital sensitise community on important mental health

 

The tema General Hospital has observed  the World Mental Health  Day, which aims at educating individuals about the importance of their emotional, psychological, and social well-being for a healthy living. 

The event took place on 10th October 2024 in Accra  with the theme of prioritizing mental health in the workplace.

Tema Metro Director Dr.sally Quartey

Speaking to the media, the Tema Metro Director Dr.sally Quartey indicated that "This theme has been chosen because the same federation notes that 60% of the world's population are working or are in employment. And these 60% also spend 60% of their time, their working hours at the workplace, so various workplaces. So it means that we spend a whole lot of our time working.

"And it is important that as we are doing that we have the right environment. Now, from long ago, the relationship between employment and then mental health was established. "

Again, she highlighted some examples, staing that when somebody does not have work, somebody is not employed, a person undergoes mental health issues. You know, they are worried, they are depressed, they are anxious. And then when people have work to do, it actually has a positive effect on their mental health he stated 

"But in doing all these things we have to be careful also the sort of work that we do and then the environment in which we work. So today, because we are health workers, we concentrated a lot on the health workers. So we talked about certain conditions that cause stress, " she advised 

also Dr. Sally revealed that  in greater Accra, just a few months ago, the hospital received some letters from the Director General asking  about how the region has been zoned up.

She further explained that  each zone has about three or four districts. Each zone has a professional mental health officer who can attend to mental health issues. "So, for example, Tema Metro, Tema West, Assignment, our mental health officer is in Tema General Hospital," she noted 

 There is also the Director General Special Initiative for Mental Health. She added 

Again, she made known that there is collaboration between the health authorities and traditional healers when there are mental health issues, because some Ghanians immediately think of spiritual aspects and move straight to the traditional healers, the churches 

"And this initiative is actually working to bring us together so that we can all work towards the same goal. Again, in Ghana, mental health is a big problem because of the stigmatization and discrimination that comes with it. So even in health facilities, you would think that brain health personnel will understand it more." She stated 

Also, 2-3% of health workers have mental health issues. "Yes, but we also heard from the psychiatric unit that the health staff themselves are not visiting the unit because everybody is afraid of the stigma," she disclosed 

Dr. Etornam, the regional mental coordinator

Dr. Etornam, the regional mental coordinator, and greater Accra  highlighted that stigma surrounding mental health issues is a significant barrier to seeking help. To address this, the hospital is launching an awareness campaign to educate and sensitize the community.

The campaign would focus on raising awareness about mental health issues, Reducing stigma associated with mental illness, encouraging early detection and treatment.

Also, the hospital would conduct outreach programs in schools, engage with churches and faith-based organizations, organize community durbar (gatherings) to educate and sensitize the public and Collaborate with local leaders .

 

He finally urged all Ghanaians to take their mental health seriously and seek health assistance if they experienced one.

Dr. Augustin Kwashi-clinical coordinator also added that mental health initiative recognizes the interconnectedness of patient and staff well-being, fostering a supportive environment for all therefore Mental health care must be extended beyond patients because staff's well-being matters too.

These reworded statements emphasize the importance of mental health care for both patients and staff, highlighting the organization's commitment to overall well-being.

Reported by Azaglo Michael