Accra Psychiatric Hospital Begins Repatriation Of Patients

The management of Accra Psychiatric Hospital is to repatriate about 600 cured inmates by the end of June this year. The exercise which is to be conducted on regional basis, would begin on Wednesday, January 19, with inmates from Greater Accra Region and its environs. Dr Kwesi Osei, Chief Psychiatrist of Ghana Health Service, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra on Monday. He explained that all the patients were fully cured, saying "these people can help us locate their various homes." Dr Osei said they would be accompanied by nurses and staff of the Department of Social Welfare who would educate the families on how to welcome their relatives into their fold. On the Mental Bill, he said its passage would encourage the establishment of minor psychiatric facilities in addition to the regional hospitals to ease congestion at the three major psychiatric hospitals in the country. Dr Osei explained that patients with minor mental problems could be treated at these facilities and discharged within two weeks. The other two major psychiatric hospitals are at Pantang and Ankaful.