A two member delegation of the Association of Ghanaian Professionals in Ireland (AGPI) paid a two week working visit to Ghana. The delegation included Dr Vincent Agyapong, Chairperson of AGPI and Mr Mark Mantey, an Executive member of AGPI. The visit was to enable the group familiarise themselves with developments in Ghana as well as explore areas of cooperation with other local and international partners in promoting Ghana’s development.

The delegation first visited the psychiatric ward of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where they acquainted themselves with some of the challenges facing Mental Health Service delivery in Ghana. The delegation also presented assorted items worth 20 million cedis, including a refrigerator, chairs, bed sheets, buckets, toiletries and beverages to the psychiatric ward. Presenting the items, Dr Agyapong acknowledged the effort the government was making to improve upon mental health service delivery in Ghana. He stated however that a lot more needed to be done to bring the care of psychiatric patients in Ghana in line with international standards. He decried the non-passage of the Mental Health Act for Ghana which he said was severely compromising the fundamental human rights of those with mental health problems in Ghana. He said it was in recognition of the need for all hands to be on deck in managing the crisis confronting mental health services that the AGPI was making the donation. He pledged further assistance from the AGPI to mental health service delivery in Ghana. Receiving the items, the Director of Nursing Services of the Hospital expressed her delight at the donation. She said this was the first time that such a gesture had been extended to the psychiatric ward of the hospital coming at a time that the ward was in dire need of support.

The delegation also paid a courtesy call on Ghana’s Chief Psychiatrists, Dr Akwasi Ossei. The discussion with Dr Ossei centred around a proposal to annually augment the psychiatric workforce in Ghana with Psychiatrists from Ireland on short term placements.

Earlier, the delegation had held critical talks with the Management of Tullow Oil Ghana around using Ghana’s oil resources to help restructure Ghana’s Mental Health Service delivery as part of its corporate social responsibility towards Ghana. The head of Government and External Relations of Tullow Oil Ghana, Mr. Kofi Esson, lauded the efforts being made by AGPI and gave a commitment that Tullow Oil would cooperate with AGPI in respect of improving Mental Health Service delivery for the common good of Ghana.

Finally, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Betty Mould-Idrissu. The delegation used the occasion to inform the minister of her nomination to the Fellowship of AGPI. They also invited the minister to attend the maiden AGPI conference on Education, Enterprise, Employment and Leadership to be held on the 24th of October 2009 in Dublin. The minister expressed her delight at both the nomination and invitation and pledged her total support for the noble objectives of the AGPI For more information, please visit www.agpireland.org