Gov’t to Establish Three New Psychiatric Hospitals to Ease Pressure on Existing Facilities
Government plans to establish three additional psychiatric hospitals in Kumasi, Tamale and the Volta Region to expand access to specialised mental healthcare and reduce pressure on existing facilities.
The proposed hospitals will serve the middle, northern and eastern parts of the country respectively, as part of efforts to decentralise psychiatric care and bring specialised treatment closer to more people.
President John Dramani Mahama announced the plans during a question-and-answer session at a community engagement in Goaso in the Ahafo Region, where he outlined measures to improve access to specialised healthcare services.
“Currently, Ghana has three major psychiatric hospitals serving the country’s mental healthcare needs. We recognise the need to expand these facilities to improve access to specialised psychiatric services,” he stated.
He explained that arrangements had been made to establish three additional facilities to decentralise psychiatric care and bring services closer to people in different parts of the country.
“We have therefore made arrangements to establish three additional psychiatric hospitals. One will serve the middle belt of the country, with Kumasi as the proposed location; another will serve the northern part of Ghana, in Tamale; and the third will serve the eastern part of the country, in the Volta Region,” President Mahama said.
He added that the new facilities would help reduce the pressure on existing psychiatric institutions and improve access to specialised treatment.
“These facilities will help decentralise psychiatric care and reduce the pressure on the existing institutions,” he stated.
In a related development, President Mahama announced plans to strengthen specialised nursing services, particularly in critical care, through targeted training programmes.
“We are also working to strengthen specialised nursing services, particularly in critical care. We have selected nursing training institutions to provide training for nurses in this specialised area,” he said.
He explained that the initiative was intended to equip healthcare professionals with the skills required to manage patients who need intensive monitoring and specialised treatment.
“The objective is to build the capacity of our healthcare workforce to manage patients who require intensive monitoring and specialised treatment,” he stated.
President Mahama added that the training could also equip nurses with skills sought after internationally, potentially creating employment opportunities for those interested in working abroad.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
