The Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority, Dr Akwasi Osei, has said that there is still help and hope for all victims affected by the June 3, 2015 flood and fire disaster at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra.
He said as the country marked the first anniversary of the disaster, victims reminded of their loss of loved ones and property and agonising over that could still get help from doctors at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.
“The June 3 disaster should not continue to haunt us,” he maintained.
He said if victims continuously had images of the scenes of the disaster and got scared when it threatened to rain, a year on, then it was likely they were going through a post-traumatic stress disorder and had to quickly approach mental health or medical personnel to get help.
The effort
Dr Osei, who is also the Chief Psychiatrist of the Ministry of Health, gave the advice in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra.
The aftermath of the June 3 flood and fire disaster at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra resulted in the Mental Health Authority of Ghana, the Ghana Psychological Association, the Department of Psychiatry of the Ghana Medical School, the Ghana Psychology Council and the Calvary Baptist Church setting up a counselling centre at the premises of the church and near the fuel station, adjacent to the GCB Bank.
The aim was to provide counselling for victims traumatised by the twin disasters of flooding and a blaze that engulfed a fuel station when flood waters seeped into the fuel tank of the station, discharging fuel on top of the flood waters that ignited a fire.
The efforts of the institutions resulted in counselling to about 600 people last year.
Dr Osei challenged the government to stop paying lip-service to the perennial flood challenge, reminding the policy makers for failing to desilt drains.
For individuals, he urged all to recognise the collective responsibility to change behaviours that resulted in flooding such as hindering the free flow of flood waters by choked gutters as a result of refuse.
“I think our attitude towards cleanliness is important. Our attitude towards mental healthcare is important,” he reminded the public.
Future
Dr Osei said plans to make psychological and mental support a part of relief and disaster management efforts proposed last by the authority and its partners, when they set up the satellite counselling centres, had been reinforced by the lessons learnt.
Thus, trauma centres would be institutionalised at all regional levels with the appointment of regional mental health subcommittee officers.
Although the officers would be appointed by the Mental Health Authority, they would be members of the Regional Health Directorate and liaise with the respective co-ordinators of the National Disaster Management Organisations (NADMO) on issues of trauma, depression and any mental challenges.
He added that mobile crisis intervention teams would also be established to quickly intervene during emergencies.
“Unfortunately, we are seriously handicapped in relation to finances and resources,” Dr Osei said.
That was because the Legislative Instrument (LI) that would detail the Mental Health Levy had still not been passed, with the authority waiting for a meeting with the Ministry of Finance.
Dr Osei conceded that as the authority waited for that meeting, the plight of anyone living with any mental health disorder was worsening.
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