By Christopher Tetteh
Sunyani, (Bono), July 23, GNA – Mr Joseph Yere, the Bono Regional Mental Health Coordinator has cautioned pregnant women against self-medication.
He said self-medication during pregnancy could cause mental health problems for unborn babies, saying that a worsened situation could cause epilepsy among children.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Mr Yere advised pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics for drug prescription instead of self-medication.
He also expressed concern about the growing youth substance abuse saying that substance abuse remained the leading cause of mental illness in the region.
Mr Yere advised especially students to stay away from illicit drug use and abuse, saying that: “recovering fully from mental health conditions back to normal life is very expensive”.
He expressed concern about the abuse of toffees laced with Indian hemp among students in the region and urged parents to monitor the movements of their children and also be interested in the friends they picked too.
Mr Yere said research showed that “at least one person in every Ghanaian household has a mental health condition”.
He appealed to the government to adequately resource the mental health units worrying about inadequate funds and proposed the inclusion of mental health illness in the National Health Insurance Scheme to provide psychiatric services free of charge.
Mr Yere noted that the Mental Health Authority was facing challenges in funding drugs saying that the unit in the region lacked essential drugs for clients.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/Audrey Dekalu
Reporter: Christopher Tetteh
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