Pantang admits more people with substance, alcohol abuse.

Page 31 Friday December 19 2008
THE Pantang Hospital recorded an increase of 88 per cent in the number of patients who were admitted there for substance abuse between 2007 and 2008.
The number of patients admitted for alcohol abuse also increased by 43 per cent during the period, according to the acting Medical Officer of the hospital, Mrs Annan Dzadey.
Mrs Dzadey was speaking at an end-of-year party and awards ceremony for the patients and staff of the hospital on Wednesday.
She said total Outpatient Department (OPD) attendance this year was 28,101, made up of 11,995 physical and 16,106 psychiatric cases.
She indicated that given the increasing number of alcohol and illicit substance users, the hospital might expect more clients with addiction problems seeking help in psychiatric hospitals.
“We are prepared to help patients, but it should be the primary concern of policy makers to address this need as soon as possible. The World Health Organisation (WHO) report in 2002 indicated that four per cent of the global burden of diseases and 3.2 per cent of all deaths were attributed to alcohol. Yet we see alcohol being prepared and sold almost everywhere and even young children can buy it without a problem,” she said.
According to Mrs Dzadey, patients referred to the hospital by court for observation, evaluation and treatment were often forgotten by the authorities and they became a burden on the hospital.
She noted that the hospital had 121 patients who had been on admission for more than two years, 70 of them without any traceable families.
“In 2007 and 2008, we admitted 23 and 29 patients, respectively, on court order and as of now 35 are still in the wards. Most of these neglected and forgotten patients become part of our hospital family,” she added.
Mrs Dzadey said the hospital would establish a special ward for the rehabilitation of patients with substance addiction problems, as well as intensify activities at the Department for the Rehabilitation of Chronic Patients.
In a speech read on his behalf by the acting Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Daniel Yayemain, the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Elias Sory, said even though brain drain in the health sector was still a problem, mental health workers continued to show a high level of commitment.
“Mental health workers throughout the country have demonstrated that it is possible for all health workers to put in an extra effort when the right kind of leadership is demonstrated,” ho noted.
He commended the management of the hospital for organising the end-of-year party and awards ceremony, saying the ceremony served as a therapy that could contribute immensely towards the fast recovery of patients.
As part of the ceremony, a dancing competition among the inmates of the hospital was held and the winners were crowned Mr and Miss Pantang 2008.
Nine retired officers of the hospital were rewarded for their hard work and dedication.