Accra Psychiatric Hospital Staff Demonstrate Over Lack Of Drugs

Nurses at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital on Tuesday embarked on a demonstration to express their displeasure over the unavailability of drugs and some basic working equipment. Citi News� reporter, Nana Boakye Yiadom reported that ��a handful of nurses from the psychiatric hospital and other health workers are demonstrating and singing with placards���. According to him the nurses say ��the unavailability of medicine in the hospital pharmacy put them and their patients in danger��. Leader of the group, Samuel Kwadwo Hanu accused the government of abandoning the hospital. ��We are demonstrating because the logistics that we are supposed to use to work are not available in this hospital; the government has abandoned the psychiatric hospital for far too long,�� he said. Samuel Hanu further noted that patients are unable to get the medications prescribed for them. ��� according to the information we are having the situation will be so for the next eight months; so as nurses we are advocating for our patients and government must intervene,�� he added. He opined that the patients by government�s policy are supposed to receive free treatment and medication [psychiatric treatment]. ��Majority of our patients, about 80 percent are poor and cannot afford the medication; things are really bad here now,�� he said. Mr. Hanu also explained that the situation put the nurses and everyone who works in the psychiatric hospital in danger. He added that the nurses will lay down their tools after a week when nothing is done about the situation.