Source: West
Central Africa Division

The Ghana Union Conference has
renovated the female observational ward of the Accra Psychiatry Hospital at a
cost of Ghc21,645.00 ($US8,600).

The scope of work included the ceiling of the ward and four observational
rooms, floor tiling, installation of four air conditioners, painting,
minor masonry and electrical works, and fixing of wooden louvres to
provide enclosure.

The refurbished ward was handed over to the hospital administrators last month at
a short ceremony in the ward. The ward is the first point of call for female
patients who visit the hospital and takes 15 people at a time.

According to Samuel Adama Larmie, President of the Southern Ghana Union
Conference, the renovation was part of the social impact projects selected to
make a difference in the lives of Ghanaians to mark the 125th anniversary
celebration of the Adventist church in Ghana last year.

“As Adventists we believe in the total well being of a person and thus chose to
collaborate with the Psychiatry Hospital which is helping to restore health to
persons with mental disabilities. Though the initial support was GHC10,000.00
($US3,973), we raised it to GHC21,645.00 when we were informed of what the
hospital wanted to do with the money.

Thanking the church, Dr. Akwasi Osei, the hospital’s medical director and chief
psychiatrist of the Mental Health Authority said a conducive environment is
crucial to mental health administration.

“Patient recovery is not just about medicines but the environment counts
as well. If the environment is not conducive you can give all the medicines
that person might not recover because there is a missing factor. That missing
factor is what the Adventist church has provided, a cool, cozy and nice
environment and we are grateful,” Osei said.

He also called for collaboration with the church to attach a mental health
training facility to the Kwadaso Nursing College to train more psychiatry
nurses.

The Adventist delegation included Larmie, Isaac Owusu Amponsem, Nii Lante
Thompson, Margaret Osei, and Solace Asafo-Hlordzi