By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, Oct. 29, GNA - Mr Peter Yaro, Executive Director, BasicNeeds-Ghana, has called on Government to prioritise mental health care by providing adequate resources for mental health care services.
He said is the need to ensure that the health system supports people who become drug addicts, as the need for rehabilitation is key; adding that however, such measures calls for the right frame of policy and increased resource support.
Mr Yaro made these remarks in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, on the sidelines of a Mental Health Forum in Accra.
The forum was organised by BasicNeeds-Ghana and funded by Star-Ghana.
Star –Ghana is supporting a consortium of local Non-Governmental Organisations led by BasicNeeds-Ghana to explore initiatives on improving community mental health services and ensure effective functioning of community health system in Ghana.
The project seeks to improve the mental health care of poor and vulnerable people by promoting community mental health and increasing investments in community mental health care.
The forum was held under the theme: “Status of Implementation of the Mental Health Law (Act 846, 2102) and the Legislative Instrument (LI)”.
Mr Yaro said among the challenges has been that since 2012 the Legislative Instrument (LI) had not been approved by parliament, a situation, he described as worrying; and a matter of prioritisation of government’s commitment to development issues.
He said Government was being confronted with numerous challenges, but there is the need for government to give attention to mental health, because it was a topical issue.
The Executive Director expressed the hope that the Ministry of Finance would increase budgetary allocation for mental health, whereas, the district assemblies also use their common fund to provide financial support to their district level facilities that support mental health.
Mr Yaro said the forum registered a working group of stakeholders from civil society and mental health experts and the Mental Health Authority of Ghana, for the group to put together their ideas on strategies to advance the course of getting the LI of the mental health law passed.
He said to consider the targets they could engage to advance the course of community mental health, both in terms of legislation and policy, and in terms of increase funding for the mental health care sub-sector.
GNA
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