Hospitals receive psychotropic, anti-epileptic medicines

Basic Needs-Ghana, a mental health advocacy organisation, has presented psychotropic and anti-epileptic medicines to health facilities in northern Ghana to help in the treatment of mental health patients.

The items were presented to the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Tamale Central Hospital, Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, Upper West Regional Hospital and Sunyani Regional Hospital.

The medicines, worth 3,943,740.44 million dollars, were a donation from Direct Relief, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in the United States.

Mr Adam Dokurugu Yahaya, the Programmes Manager of BasicNeeds-Ghana, who presented the medicine to the beneficiary facilities in Tamale, said they came as a big relief as they would help to ease the burden that mental health patients and their families endured trying to access treatment.

Mr Yahaya said the medicines could last for more than six months adding they would, therefore, help to address the challenge of shortage of drugs to treat mental health patients in the country and urged the beneficiary facilities not to charge the patients for it.

Mr Joseph Yere, the Brong Ahafo Regional Co-ordinator of Mental Health, thanked BasicNeeds-Ghana and donors for their support saying the medicines would be used for the intended purpose.

Source: GNA