The Deputy Chief Executive of Mental Health Authority, Dr Caroline Amissah has mentioned that mental health delivery is offered free without patients paying a dime for services rendered to clients.
She made this known in an interview with Spice 91.9FM after the completion of a two–day workshop held for journalists in Takoradi, on media reportage of mental health.
Madam Amissah said the mental health Act, Act 846 (2012) states that mental health services are free and no person should pay for them.
Nevertheless, she mentioned that mental health services are funded by the government unlike other health issues like HIV/AIDS, malaria which get support and donations from various foreign organizations.
“In the past, mental health was seen as the way we see malaria, TB and others. It was treated like a program condition disease such that there were dedicated funds just like other illnesses. Unfortunately, for us there is no dedicated fund so it’s the government that gives us the money so you can imagine what will happen to us if the government is cash trapped, “she said.
Dr Amissah said the population of mentally ill persons have increased thus the government is not able to keep up with such services.
She revealed that last year, the Service received an amount of One Hundred Thousand cedis which was inadequate and a challenge for the smooth operations of the service.
Dr Amissah cited that some mental health hospitals are still in debt even though the government keeps supporting the organizations and appealed to corporate organizations across the country to come to the aid of the Service to deliver quality mental health care to Ghanaians.
