The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prophecy Scientific Herbal Clinic, Noble Dr. Elijah Mensah-Bonsu, has expressed concern about the spate of mental illness conditions including bipolar disorders affecting the Ghanaians.
The Doctor noted that Ghana will not be a safe destiny or home if the issue of mental illnesses is not addressed with seriousness.
According to him, the situation is worsening and ought to be dealt with.
Dr. Mensah-Bonsu made this known at a press briefing in Accra yesterday at his clinic.
He indicated that a recent report by the Founder and Team Leader of Mindit Mental Health Service, Dr. Atsu Lartey, published on the Harvard Global Health Institute page that many Ghanaians were living with undiagnosed mental illness is true and should not be toyed with.
He said “With a population of nearly 30 million people, World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that approximately, 13% of the population in Ghana suffers from a mental disorder of which 3% suffers a severe mental disorder and the other 10% suffers from a moderate to mild- mental disorder (WHO, 2007)”.
He expressed worry over the absence of reliable data regarding the prevalence of mental and neurological disorders in the country.
He further noted that Ghana’s poor supply systems for psychotropic and limited capacity for local production of medicines, high cost of newer medications as well as inadequate funding to support cost of medicines, budget for psychotropic medicines, are the leading causes of mental disorders among the populace.
“The common conditions of mental disorders during admissions are primarily schizophrenia, 21%. The others are substance misuse, 9% and mood disorders, 6% with 58% of patients not having any diagnosis” the Doctor disclosed.
Dr. Mensah -Bonsu who was crowned as the 2021 National Overall Best Herbal Doctor, called on stakeholders to institute more effective measures to deal with Bipolar Disorders and also uphold international best practices to help reduce mental illness in the country.
Referring to Bipolar Disorders for example in the Ghanaian celebrities’ space, Dr. Mensah-Bonsu noted that managing bipolar disorders can be challenging due to its chronicity and relapse features during treatment.
He identified inadequate access to quality care, lack of compliance to treatment protocols, societal stigma, negative religious interferences and the inability to deal with triggers as some of the causes that may increase the risk factors initiating the episodes.
Dr. Mensah -Bonsu who has practiced in the herbal space for several years both in Kumasi and Accra, recommended a combination of therapies in addressing some of these challenges.
“Victims of these mental disorders must be psychologically and physically given the assurance and hope that their situation would come to pass” he stated.
Dr. Mensah-Bonsu appealed to the Government to deepen its collaboration with herbal medicine practitioners to address some of the many health issues affecting Ghanaians. He also called on government to invest more on training specialized health professionals for the country.
About the Clinic;
The Prohecy Scientific Herbal Clinic was established in 2008 to take care of all manner of health challenges facing Ghanaians. It is based in Kumasi with another branch in the nation’s capital of Accra.
By Alex Boye
