Basic Needs Ghana Advocates For Improved Supply Of Psychotropic Drugs

Basic Needs Ghana, a Mental Health and Development advocacy organization, has called on the government to improve the supply of Psychotropic and anti-epileptic medicines to health facilities to help their member to access treatment services within proximate distances from their homes.

Basic Needs Ghana is also liaising with the Mental Health Authority of Ghana and the Department of Social Welfare to register and renew cards of persons with mental health conditions and epilepsy onto the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Speaking exclusively to Radio Ghana, the Project Officer in charge of the Upper East Region, Bernard Azure indicated that vulnerability of persons with mental illness and epilepsy affects their ability to work and earn an income, making it difficult to meet their basic needs not to mention buying psychotropic drugs.

He called on various municipal and district assemblies to consider persons with mental health in their social intervention programs.

According to Mr. Azure, Basic Needs Ghana donated some quantities of psychotropic drugs to the health directorate for onward distribution to the mental health units of the various health facilities. He hinted that Basic Needs Ghana intends to procure Personal Protective Equipment to the about 15 and 53 members each of the 55 self-help groups in the Upper East Region.

He disclosed that there is no confirmed case among its members in about 55 self-help groups in thirteen Municipals and districts in the Upper East Region but urged them to continue to observe the health protocols.