The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH) has reached out to the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital, Ankaful Prisons, and the Padre Pio Rehabilitation Centre at Ahotor Krom with a variety of items to support their operations.

The items included bags of rice, cooking oil, water, drinks, stationery, toiletries, clothing, and pharmaceuticals to help improve the living conditions of the beneficiaries.

The gesture, which formed an integral part of the hospital's 25th anniversary celebration was also targeted at strengthening the collaborations between the hospital and its stakeholders in the Central Region.

Dr Robert Incoom, Director of Pharmacy, CCTH, who led some management members and staff to visit the institutions, was hopeful the items would go a long way to improve the health status of the recipients.

He observed that total health was not only the absence of disease but also the presence of peace of mind.

'As we think of providing total health care to our people, we also ensure that psychologically, they are well-fed and so their health status will become complete.

'The items will help the institutions to manage and take care of the inmates and clients that they have under their care,' he said.

Dr Incoom encouraged all other institutions and individuals with the means, to go to the aid of the vulnerable in the society.

'In fact, having the opportunity to visit the care home and seeing the good works that they are doing, we feel that if we support them, they can play complementary roles in ensuring total health care of the Ghanaian,' he said.

He indicated that activities for the celebration would continue the following week with a float through the principal streets of Cape Coast to exercise and create awareness about the mandate of the hospital.

He said a grand durbar would be held at the GRNMA Hotel in Cape Coast after which a dinner would be held to climax the celebration.

Dr Mark Mantey, the CEO of Padre Pio Rehabilitation Centre which takes care of healed lepers, people with special needs and other marginalised groups, described the donation as special and thanked the hospital for the gesture.

'It is nice and special that you have thought about your brothers, sisters, mother and fathers who have been given no place in society. Each one will be used for the purpose it is intended for,' he assured.

Despite the noble work it is undertaking, Dr Mantey said the facility was reeling under a raft of challenges including inadequate funds and necessities, and the lack of adequate human resources.

He, therefore, called on the public for support to promote the cause of centre.

Supt Daniel Eghan, Officer in Charge of Paralegal at the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison, while thanking the hospital, said the items would better the welfare of the inmates.

The prison with a capacity to accommodate 2,000 inmates currently has 1,424 inmates and, therefore, it has no congestion challenges.

However, he said they could not feed inmates adequately because the GHC1.80 per inmate feeding rate was woefully inadequate.

He appealed to government to raise the rate to enable them to feed the inmates well.

Supt. Eghan further intimated that the prisons were grappling with the lack of adequate drugs and medical necessities at their clinics.

'We have the clinics that take care of the health needs of the inmate but most often, we have the challenge of drugs and therefore we are appealing for some help with respect to drugs, beds, mattresses among others for our clinics,' he said.

Dr Enoch Yaw Donkor, Acting Director of the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital, expressed appreciation for the donation and called on the public for support to improve the state of the psychiatric hospital.

'We appeal to sponsors to support us with vehicles, help us improve the states of our tattered wards, provide financial support for our clientele as well as any other collaboration that will help to promote mental health in Ghana,' he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency