Five to probe Accra Psychiatric Hospital

The Accra Psychiatric Hospital A five-member Ministerial Committee of Inquiry has been set up to investigate issues of security, administrative lapses and professional ethical infractions at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital. The committee, chaired by Prof. J. Oliver-Commey, is expected to submit its report on February 1, 2010. The other members are Mr. Benjamin A. Ampomah-Boateng, a lawyer and Associate Executive Director of the Media and Governance Institute; Superintendent Michael Vieira of the Ghana Police Service, and Mr. E.T. Tidakbi, the Director of Health Administration and Support Services of the Ghana Health Service, with Mrs. Marian Tackie, the Director of Administration of the Ministry of Health as Member/Secretary. The establishment of the committee was prompted by a publication in an Accra daily which sought to expose some of the lapses in the general administration of the hospital. Inaugurating the committee, the Minister of Health, Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor, said its terms of reference were to inquire into the issues published in the December 21, 2009 edition of the New Crusading Guide on the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, determine the underlying causes and recommend immediate, medium and long-term measures to improve service delivery and conditions at the hospital. He said the report of the committee would serve as a useful input in shaping the draft Mental Health Bill in addressing challenges in mental health facilities, as well as improving service delivery and conditions in similar facilities. Dr. Kumbuor commended Mr. Anas Aremeyaw Anas for his sacrificial work that led to the revelations which he said would assist the ministry in shaping policy with regard to mental health in the country and also guide decisions on legal and human rights. He expressed the hope that the revelations would serve as a wake-up call to the administrators and managers of health facilities. He appealed to health professionals to desist from unprofessional acts and redeem their image. Prof. Oliver-Commey, on behalf of the members, thanked the minister for the confidence reposed in them and pledged their commitment to work to meet the objective for setting up the committee. Source: The Ghanaian Chronicle