Traditional rulers and key opinion leaders have attended a meeting aimed at building their capacity to mainstream trauma in their activities to prioritise rehabilitation for victims of trauma.

It was also for participants, who included actresses, media practitioners, representatives of state institutions and political parties amongst others, to share ideas on ways to prevent trauma and promote sustainable rehabilitation in homes, communities, workplaces and health care centres in the country.

The day’s meeting, held in Tamale, formed part of the Strengthening Access to Timely and Quality Rehabilitation to Survivors of Torture and Organised Violence in Ghana project (TOV) being implemented by BasicNeeds-Ghana, a mental health and development advocacy organisation, with support from the Danish Institute against Torture.

The project is being implemented in the Tamale Metropolis and Zabzugu District in the Northern Region, and the Ga West and Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra Region.

Mr Dokurugu Adam Yahaya, Programme Manager of BasicNeeds-Ghana, who made a presentation on trauma and torture, expressed the need for all to be concerned about the welfare of others to help prevent trauma in society.

Participants bemoaned the seeming lack of compassion and love by society towards people, who experienced challenges, saying, it worsened their plight.

They expressed the need for improved parental care as well as the urgency for the citizenry to show compassion to those going through and or experienced challenges such that they would be properly rehabilitated.

Alhaji Abdul Razak Saani, Northern Regional Director of the NCCE called for measures to ensure that all citizens were healthy and had access to basic necessities.

Mr Mohammed Alhassan, Presiding Member of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly expressed the need for the citizenry to accept mentally-ill people in society to ensure that they led dignified lives.

Naa Alhaji Yakubu Abubakari, Chief of Kasuliyili, who chaired the event, called for good relationship between parents and relatives to ensure proper upbringing of children and the need to promote congenial society to ensure the well-being of all.

Representatives of the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress gave assurance of mobilising the needed resources to promote a disciplined society and improve the welfare of all especially children.