The project, which is part of the government’s agenda 111 programme, is expected to give a facelift to the facility, which is one of the three main public mental health hospitals in the country.

Agenda 111 comprises the construction of district hospitals, seven new regional hospitals and two additional mental health facilities to be located in the middle and the southern belts.

Event

Addressing the media in Accra on Tuesday, March 23, 2022, the Medical Director of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Dr Pinamang Apau, said the Ministry of Health (MoH) was currently working on all prerequisites for the redevelopment works.

She said management of the facility and other stakeholders had consistently advocated a redevelopment of the hospital, considering the scope of its services it provided and the dilapidated nature of the facility.

“The 230-bed project is expected to start at the end of the third quarter of 2022, although initial communication stated the end of June 2022,” she said.

She said the hospital would be downsized by reducing staff strength and the operational space to make way for the works.

“Due to the downsizing of the facility, staff are being encouraged to move to the communities to offer services, and so the management is liaising with the MoH, the Mental Health Authority, the Ghana Health Service and other stakeholders to facilitate the process.

“Also, the hospital has scaled up its repatriation programme in a bid to reintegrate patients who have overstayed into society to pave way for the redevelopment works,” the director added.

Dr Apau said, however, that outpatient care services, psychological and occupational therapy would be fully functional.

She said provision would also be made for the short stay of patients, while those needing long-term care would be transferred to sister facilities.

Not sold out

She further debunked rumours making the rounds that the hospital land had been sold out under the guise of redevelopment.

“So far as the management of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital is concerned, the facility has not been sold. What we know and have been working on with other stakeholders is the redevelopment of the facility into an ultra-modern mental health hospital.

“If you look at where the hospital is situated, you will realise that it is a huge catchment area. We serve quite a number of people, including patients from outside the country, and so it is important for us to stay here because if we move, it will be very difficult for people to access our services,” she said.

Also, Dr Apau said, being located in a business hub enabled people to come in to access care and go back to work.