Available statistics indicate that 41 percent of Ghanaians have one form of psychological distress, Mr. Samuel Justice Adjei, Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, stated this in Sunyani on Wednesday.

Mr. Adjei who was speaking at the inauguration of the Regional Mental Health Co-ordinating sub- Committee, stated that 19 per cent of Ghanaians also had severe to moderated distress of the magnitude of depression.

That has, therefore, translated to seven per cent Gross Domestic Product loss, because of the loss of productivity due to the inability of persons with mental illness to contribute effectively to national productivity, he noted.

The Committee is a seven-member body with Dr Kofi Amo Kodie, Deputy Director, Clinical Care at the Regional Health Directorate (RHD) as Chair, Mr. Thomas Takyi , a guidance and counseling coordinator and nominee of the Regional Co-ordinating Council, Mr. Patrick Acheampong, a social worker and Mrs. Florence Akuamoah Boateng, Principal Nursing Officer at the RHD.

The rest are Reverend Father George Kyeremeh, a Clinical Psychologist and Principal, St. Ambrose College of Education, Dormaa-Akwamu, Madam Theresa Adjei-Mensah, network of non-governmental organizations in health and Mr. Joseph Yere of the Regional Mental Health Directorate as Secretary to the Committee.

Mr. Adjei observed that mental health care in the country had not been good enough as there had been very few opportunities for persons with mental illness to get quality care.

He said the situation had been of concern to the nation, and gave the assurance that the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) was ready to assist and support the Committee in all its activities, to relieve the Region of the burden of mental illness, and to facilitate the provision of quality Mental Health Care.

Mr. Adjei advised the Committee members to exhibit high performance to justify the confidence reposed in them to enable the Region to move very fast with mental health care delivery, to reduce the region's incidence of mental illness.

Dr Kwasi Osei, acting Chief Executive Officer of Mental Health Authority said the sub-committee was a tool of decentralization in ensuring that every person with mental illness received the same opportunities of mental health care, with no stigma, no discrimination and no human rights abuses.

He said the sub-committee was to ensure that human rights of patients in the region were respected, protected, and fulfilled.

Dr Osei said it would also to liaise with the police to check that patients roaming the streets of towns and villages in the region were treated, rehabilitated and returned to their homes.

The Committee will also liaise with traditional and faith based healers, to train them to be able to attend to their clients without any form of human right abuse.