The Obuasi municipal Pharmacist, Mr. Asamoah Frimpong has blamed the lack of political will on the part of successive Governments as a major obstacle hampering the nation’s quest to deal with mental health challenges. He said this during a lecture organized by the Psychiatry Department of the Obuasi Government Hospital to marks this year’s International Epilepsy Day in Obuasi. This year’s celebration was under the theme “PUTTING EPILEPSY IN THE PICTURE”.
Mr. Asamoah Frimpong stated among other things that the mental Health Act [864] which was passed in 2012 has no legal backing since the legislative instrument [L.I] is yet to be passed. He called on government to see mental Health as a security threat hence must be given the needed attention.
The medical superintendent of the Obuasi Government Hospital Dr. Francis Lord Loglo minced no words in felicitating the department for organizing such lecture and promised that, it would not be a “nine day wonder”. He said, the Hospital will come out with such programmes to sensitize the public on mental health challenges.
He called on stakeholders that including Chiefs, the Obuasi Municipal Assembly and the general public to help the Hospital to fight mental illness in the municipality. The Health practitioner also advised the general public not to see mental health diseases especially Epilepsy as a spiritual disease but rather seek for medical help to manage the seizures.
The lecture was on epilepsy which is believed to be the 4th common neurological disorder which affects all ages with over 5 million people living with it worldwide. Also, there about 300, 000 people living with epilepsy in Ghana with majority of them in the Northern part of Ghana.
Chiefs, Assembly members and media were all present.