Participants at this year’s Annual General Meeting and Delegates Congress of the Mental Health Society of Ghana (MEHSOG) have observed that the fight for true recognition and adequate support from government and society in general has been long overdue, but hope that they will surely achieve their goal no matter the challenges they continue to face.
It’s been almost a decade now since persons with mental illness and epilepsy and their primary caregivers in Ghana began receiving support from some health-based NGOs like BasicNeeds Ghana to engage duty bearers for true recognition and adequate support from government and the general public.
But with the Mental Health Bill yet to be passed into law, this objective still seems far away from fruition. It has now become a serious subject for discussion at every forum that persons affected by mental illness and other stakeholders in the sector meet to discuss the challenges they face.
At the 3rd AGM and Delegates’ Congress of the MEHSOG held in Tamale, BasicNeeds Ghana, a frontline NGO advocating for support for people with mental and epileptic conditions in the country, reiterated the call for government to demonstrate commitment towards the speedy passage of the Mental Health Bill into law.
This should include having pro-poor government policies and programmes that are inclusive of mental health and the needs of people with mental illness and their primary caregivers; said in a statement read on behalf of the Executive Director of the Non-Governmental Organisation, Yaro Badimak Peter.
According to him, the Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework – 2010-2013 has for the first time, identified the neglect of the mental health sub-sector and made it a policy objective to improve mental health services delivery in Ghana.
The proposal of the policy framework he listed, include integration of mental health into the public health services, facilitation of the introduction of exemption for mental health patients from the payment of premiums under the NHIS, training of more mental health personnel and redistribution of mental health nurses to district and community levels.
The framework also proposed the establishment and upgrading of mental health facilities, ensuring the passage of the Mental Health Bill into law, implementation of the Mental Health Bill when passed into law and intensifying public education on mental health.
In an addressed read on his behalf, the Northern Regional Minister, said a flagship policy that has remained close to the heart and mind of the current government since it assumed the mantle of political leadership of the country in 2009 is the Mental Health Bill.
According to Moses Mabengba, the government under the leadership of President John Evans Atta Mills recognized the fact that mental illness and epilepsy are debilitating, as the illness makes it impossible for the country to maximize the use of human resources and subtract from the pool, the contributions that people with mental illness and epilepsy could potentially make towards national development.
He assured MEHSOG, BasicNeeds Ghana and all Ghanaians that government remained committed to the passage of the Mental Health Bill. Adding, “Government is also committed to the Mental Health Bill because it would help to preserve the rights of persons with mental disorders; specifically rights relating to equality and non-discrimination, right to privacy and freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment among others.”
Meanwhile, MEHSOG exist to represent and foster a broad-based movement of people with mental illness and epilepsy and their primary caregivers to mobilize their numbers to make their voices heard and to be factored into appropriate programmes and projects that address their needs and concerns.
Under the theme “Ensuring Total National Development Through Inclusive Planning – The Role of People with Mental Illness in Ghana” the third AGM of MEHSOG in Tamale aimed at reviewing the performance of the society over the past one year and charting the course for the coming year, dwelling on user involvement in ensuring total national development.
President of MEHSOG Minatu Montana also explained that the two-day event was intended to share experiences, challenges and amend sections of the constitution as may be deemed appropriate. Another area for discussion and possible amendment was the section on the election of national officers to be held during AGMs, she added.
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