Former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has urged the government to prioritise the basic needs of public hospitals and ensure they are adequately resourced to deliver quality healthcare services.
She also called on President John Dramani Mahama to fully implement the provisions of the Mental Health Act, 2012 to guarantee accessible and affordable mental healthcare for all Ghanaians.
According to the former Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, the law was originally designed to make mental healthcare free and easily accessible, particularly for vulnerable groups.
Adwoa Safo, who was among lawmakers that championed the legislation when it was passed by Parliament on March 2, 2012, said the law has not achieved its intended impact due to inadequate funding and poor implementation.
“A country that is mentally healthy is also healthy in every aspect of national life,” she emphasised.
She made the remarks during a donation exercise organised by her charity organisation, the Adwoa Safo Foundation, at the Pantang Hospital.
The foundation donated assorted items to support patients and staff at the facility. The items included eight bags of rice, 29 bags of sachet water, packs of plantain chips, Milo and milk, 15 packs of toilet rolls, beverages, cleaning supplies, mosquito nets, and a 43-inch television set.
Adwoa Safo also pledged to renovate one of the hospital’s dilapidated wards to improve conditions for both patients and healthcare workers.
Receiving the items, the Medical Director of Pantang Hospital, Dr Maalug Yennusum, expressed appreciation for the donation and described it as a timely intervention.
He briefed the former minister on ongoing development initiatives at the facility, including farming projects aimed at supporting patient feeding and generating additional income to help meet operational costs.
Dr Yennusum also highlighted efforts to improve the hospital’s environment to make it more therapeutic for patients.
However, he noted that the hospital continues to face significant financial challenges, as many patients cannot afford the cost of treatment.
“Most of our inmates do not even have money to pay for their treatment, so we rely heavily on support,” he said, appealing to individuals and organisations to support the facility.