A lecturer at the Department of Mental Health School of Nursing and Midwifery of the University of Ghana, Samuel Ajorlolo, has criticized government for failing to implement a legislative instrument to give meaning to the Mental Health Act.
Speaking at the launch of the 2019 Care and Action for Mental Health African games, Mr. Ajorlolo said the law which was passed in 2012 has not improved mental health in the country.
According to him “the mental health of the nation is questionable. Suffice to say that a nation cannot progress steadily; a nation cannot develop particularly to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) when there is a deficit in population of mental health. Unfortunately in our context in Ghana, attention towards issues of mental health has been abysmal.”
Mr. Ajorlolo in addition said the action of the government is exemplified in the difficulty in passing legislative instruments to support the mental health act that was passed in 2012.
He further justified the comment that “the actual implementation of the act is in limbo because government does not see the need to toll out resources to pass the LI which will make the Act function.”
This year’s Care and Action for Mental Health Africa games is in collaboration with the French Embassy in Ghana.
The embassy also donated items to the three Psychiatric hospitals in the Greater Accra Region.
The launch was on the theme, “ suicide prevention through inclusion and sports”.