The Psychiatric Unit at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) is seeing a troubling increase in mental health cases, handling roughly 15,000 Out-Patient Department visits each year.
Schizophrenia and postpartum depression rank among the 10 most common conditions treated at the hospital. Psychiatrists warn that most patients fall between 25 and 40 years old, an age group that forms Ghana’s young and economically active population.
Speaking at the launch of this year’s Purple Month, Acting Head of the Psychiatric Unit, Dr. Ruth Owusu Antwi, expressed concern over the mounting strain on the facility given its limited space and resources.
Despite the spike in patient numbers, she said the unit does not have enough room to house them, causing delays in care and, in some instances, patients leaving before finishing treatment only to come back with worse symptoms.
She called for urgent completion of the stalled expansion project for the psychiatric unit, which has been on hold for nearly five years since work started. Purple Month is observed to raise awareness on mental health and encourage prevention under the theme: “Mental Well-being for All: Turning Awareness into Action.”
Dr. Owusu Antwi stressed that action must go beyond awareness, urging stronger support systems to handle the growing caseload nationwide. “The theme talking about changing awareness into action is very important for us. We have seen that largely, people are becoming aware of mental health.
This year, we are saying that it is not enough to become aware. Put the awareness into action.“Take your own mental health seriously as a starting point and then look out for your family members and your colleagues. Do not stigmatise against people who are dealing with mental disorders. Help is available,” she said.
