Stop all forms of Prayer camps treatment for vulnerable mental health patients.

Whilst working on a 10 week placement at the Pantang Psychiatric hospital in 1980’s as part of Nursing Training, I observed that there was not a clear framework set as standard of treatment for patients who were emotionally disturbed and suffering from mental health issues. The programme offered was excellent tutors however when it came to applying theory to practice it was quite a different scenario.

I also had the opportunity to work post qualifying as a newly qualified staff nurse to work at the Accra Mental Hospital after for 3 months.
Areas of grave concerns observed then:

There was not a Mental Health Authority to monitor review and evaluate operations across the country.
Expectations from the general public also did not also help in addressing the concerns.
As soon as a patient is admitted into hospital suffering from mental health problems they are stigmatised by their close friends , neighbours and sometimes the family.

Although in the 1980’s the patients were barely fed and I also that observed some staff were actually eating patients foods and then turning to later comers coming for their meals that there is no food left for them. One one occasion I had to use my own money to buy a fast food for a patient on some strong medications and lamenting that there was no food left for him. That day I walked home which nearly took me an hour. There was no mouth piece/ patient advice services for relative or patients to complain to. Our system is pathetic if you are unfortunate to suffer such illness.
There is not a National Service Framework for the treatment of Mental Health patients. As a result there is still a widespread mistreatment of people with mental disabilities in most mental health facilities/institutions. The patients are often at the mercy of some merciless nurses particularly the unqualified ones who prey on these vulnerable patients, mistreat , and some times detained them in inhuman conditions in psychiatric hospital. Lately some families take their mental patients to so called “Prayer camps” for spiritual healing . Having heard from some patients who had experiences this sort of treatments that disclosed that they are often shackled, denied food and water as part of their rituals for being in the so called Prayer camps. Sadly, many people o many people with mental disabilities are forced to live in psychiatric hospitals and prayer camps, often against their will and with little possibility of challenging their confinement. I observed that people with mental disabilities who had been shackled for prolonged periods to prevent them from escaping or showing aggressive behaviour and as a result received further punishment. I saw many mental disabilities children, young people and adult being treated like homeless animals with no love and care yet the nurses were paid by the state. The irony of the matter is Minister of Health is not addressing these issues of grave concerns and the practice went on. So why is there no Framework up to now?

Reflecting on whilst working at the Accra Mental Hospital I also observed that people with mental disabilities were facing overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. During my recent visit to Ghana this year a friend shared shared with me what her daughter went through at a prayer camp. She lamented bitterly how her daughter condition became worse because whilst at a prayer camp recommended to her through a friend. She was not given the right medication prescribed from hospital instead she was forced to take herbal concoctions against their will, and was deprived of food or water for days if she refused. She said she observed whilst visiting her daughter that almost all residents in this particular camp were chained by their ankles to trees in open compounds or in prison-like cells, where they slept, urinated, defecated, and bathed.

Instead of supporting people with mental disabilities with voluntary medical care, love, and rehabilitation programme they shackled and forced electroshock therapy as the way forward.
To date I have been reading update from the media that UN Human Rights Council is monitoring development and have done some research themselves to address the issues facing the most vulnerable people in the Ghanaian society.

Would it be an opportunity for our Minister of Health to investigate and follow up and set a committee to discipline those health care professional violating their duty of care. For the Prayer camps I would recommend that the Health Minster stop all operations by the end of the year so that 2016 open a new page for the more civilised way of treating people with mental health problems.

Why are we not so challenging and instead accepting these inhumane treatment of our fellow citizens. Why is Parliament denying these group of people their basic right of life for a quality health care.
Would it be a brilliant idea to recommend that perhaps three Ministers namely, the Minister of Housing, Health, Education jointly work together in forging a package in the form of a rehabilitation centre for a long term treatment of care for these group of people. A purposeful community centre mainly for the mental challenged patients within each region would be acceptable.

Mercy Adede Bolus.