Subject police officers to routine mental health checks – Akwasi Osei

Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Mental Health Authority, Dr. Akwasi Osei, is calling on the Ghana Police Administration to routinely examine the mental status of its officers.

Speaking to Citi News, Dr. Akwasi Osei said, “what I know is the routine medical checkup and physical checkup. I think we should go beyond that and include mental health checkup or psychological checkup”.

He added that, it is salient to know the mental status of individuals who handle arms.

He noted that occupations which come along with a lot of stress can trigger mental disorder in the case of individuals with weak mental backgrounds.

He said it is very important that “we have a mental health check-up periodically”.

Dr. Akwasi Osei added that “before you are recruited, you should have the check up and then routinely every year”.

He contends that the exposure of police officers to weapons and ammunition requires constant mental examination of officers, to prevent them from abusing the weapons.

Dr. Osei's advice comes on the back of a horrific incident on Monday in Tema, where one Lance Corporal Amuzu, shot himself to death after killing his mother-in-law and two children.

Background
The gory incident involving a Lance Corporal, his mother in-law and his two children occurred on Monday July 25th at Tema in the Greater Accra Region.

The officer booked an Ak-47 rifle at his station on Monday for official duties. But hours later, the news of the gruesome act started making the rounds in the neighbourhood.

The two-month old child was seen lying lifeless in a bowl with blood stains. In the gory and offensive photos which cannot be shared, the in-law, who was bathing the child at the time of the shooting, also lies lifeless with her legs in the bowl.

The other kid was also found on the floor half-naked with blood stains. The police officer, fully clothed in his uniform with his helmet, was also found lying close to his son, in a pool of blood.

The Public Relations Officer of the Tema Regional Police, ASP Juliana Obeng, said investigations are underway into the incident.

Wife of 'killer cop' accused of 'cheating' speaks out 

The wife of the 32 year old police officer with the Rapid Deployment Force in Tema, Lance Corporal Amuzu, who committed suicide after shooting his mother in-law and his two children, has told Citi News the late officer had been threatening her life repeatedly before Monday's gruesome act.

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By: Kuukua Buahin/Citifmonline.com/Ghana