Pantang Rehabilitation Centre Opens

The front view of the Pantang Hospital Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre.

A Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre at Pantang Hospital was yesterday inaugurated to provide care to patients suffering from substance abuse.

The centre offers a new chance for recovery from addiction, since it is expected to provide care to patients in a way that will significantly reduce their craving for the abused substance once they have been treated and discharged.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the Chief Nursing Officer at the Ministry of Health, Mr George Kumi Kyeremeh, expressed concern over the growing incidence of trafficking of illegal substances through the borders and shores of Ghana.

He said the continued use of such substances was a threat to society, health and the finance of affected families. Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO), as far back as 2002, estimated that there were some two billion alcohol users, 1.3 billion smokers and 185 million more people hooked to drugs.

Mr Kyeremeh stressed the need for more education, especially for the youth, to help them make the right decisions in life.

“Information about the dangers of drugs and alcohol misuse should be available to all, especially the young people, in their curriculum and the media,” he said.

In Ghana, the Pantang Hospital Outpatients Department (OPD) alone cared for 1,176 patients suffering from the abuse of illicit drugs and 572 with alcohol abuse disorders.

Those figures, according to the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Anna Dzadey, did not reflect the true number of addicted persons in the country.

“These figures may mislead us to believe that the number of persons with addiction is high but not alarming. Unfortunately, this is only a tip of the iceberg, since most of the users do not seek professional help,” she stressed.

She attributed the rising cases of substance abuse to the constant running of alcohol-related adverts in the media, which usually endorsed and encouraged people to drink heavily.

To ensure that patients are given quality care, the hospital has also trained 28 nurses in drug treatment and rehabilitation.

The nurses, who were taken through a six months’ training, graduated during the inauguration of the centre.

A person who seeks treatment at the centre, also referred to as Therapeutic Community, is expected to adopt a drug-free lifestyle and also agree to his personal and social changes that accompany the treatment.

“A commitment to remain within the rehabilitation centre for a period not less than six months is required,” Dr Dzadey stated.

She described the centre as the first of its kind in the country and commended people who made various contributions towards the renovation.

The hospital, in collaboration with VSO, has engaged Mr Nelson Careon, a clinical psychologist from the Philipines, to man the centre.

Author : Naa Lamiley Bentil