CEO of profecy scientific herbal clinic expresses concern about spate of mental illness among Ghanaians.
Monday, July 4, 2022
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Profecy Scientific Herbal Clinic in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, Noble Dr. Elijah Mensah-Bonsu has expressed concern about the spate of mental illness conditions including bipolar disorders among the Ghanaian populace.
According to him, the situation does not auger well for the health of the country and her citizenry.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, 16th May, 2022, Noble Dr. Mensah-Bonsu recommended a combination of therapies in addressing the physical, mental, social and spiritual needs of the sufferers.
In a March 25, 2020 report by the Founder and Team Lead of Mindit Mental Health Service and published on the Harvard Global Health Institute page, the author, Dr. Atsu Latey, stated that many Ghanaians were living with undiagnosed mental illness.
The write-up said according to a situational analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO), “it is estimated that of the 21.6 million people living in Ghana, 650,000 are suffering from a severe mental disorder and a further 2,166,000 are suffering from a moderate to mild mental disorder” and the treatment gap is “98% of the total population expected to have a mental disorder”.
With a population of nearly 30 million people, 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). However, there is a lack of reliable data regarding the prevalence of mental and neurological disorders in the country.
In Ghana, weak supply systems for psychotropic and limited capacity for local production of medicines, high cost of newer medications as well as the inadequate funding to support cost of medicines in addition to lack of a dedicated budget for psychotropic medicines, have been identified as 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.
Noble Dr. Mensah Bonsu who is also 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 the burden of mental illness in the country.
Referring to Bipolar Disorders for example in the Ghanaian celebrities’ space, Noble 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.
The Senior Herbal Doctor 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.
According to him, victims of these mental disorders must be psychologically and physically given the assurance and hope that their situation would come to pass. This, Dr. Mensah-Bonsu said should be combined with good and subsidized medication for the affected in order to help them out of their predicament.
Noble Dr. Mensah-Bonsu stated, ‘it is a curse for people to drink medicine throughout their life’, adding that, ‘mental health has serious spiritual implications’, situations that call for pragmatic and holistic efforts by all stakeholders including health professionals to address.
Dr. Mensah-Bonsu appealed to 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.
According to him, the estimated 38 psychiatrists serving the entire Ghanaian population is not encouraging culminating into a ratio of one psychiatrist per every 800,000 Ghanaians.
The Profecy 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.