Once a symbol of hope for mental health care in Ghana, the Pantang Hospital now stands as a shadow of its potential, its vast lands lying in ruin. Established in 1975 by the government of Ghana with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO) under the direction of Dr Kwame Nkrumah even though it was commissioned by I. K Acheampong, Pantang Hospital was envisioned as a psychiatric facility, which will bring healing for those battling mental illness of any sort. Today, however, it tells a different story from what it was built for. A story of neglect, danger, and lost opportunity.
Entrance to the Pantang Rehab Centre
Despite occupying about 344 acres of land, the hospital has failed to utilise this resource meaningfully. It is referred to as waste lands not because it can’t be useful, but because it is just not serving any purpose at all. Crumbling buildings, staff structures that have been left unattended to and overgrown weeds dominate the land, as if frozen in time. Ironically, while acres of space remain untouched and undeveloped, students at the Pantang Nursing and Midwifery Training College are being evicted due to a lack of accommodation facilities by the colleges.
A view of the vast land unused
Third-year students, many of whom are in the critical stages of their training, are now facing forced relocation because the institution claims it has run out of space. A simple walk through the compound, this vast land, however reveals the truth; there is space, just not the infrastructure or the will to develop it. Hostels could be built! Classrooms could be expanded! But instead, these young nurses are left to scramble for alternatives, going through the stress of finding residence in the locality and this leads some to risk their education in the process.
This underdevelopment doesn’t just affect education, the poorly secured land has become a threat to the safety of the very students and health professionals the hospital was designed to support. There have been multiple reports of nurses being robbed and in some tragic cases, raped while walking across the dark, lonely grounds at night. With no streetlights and little security presence, the campus becomes a hunting ground for criminals after sunset.
A street next to the ward that has only one street light along the stretch
The neglect of this land is not just a missed opportunity, it’s a breach of duty. In an era where healthcare infrastructure is more crucial than ever, and where mental health is finally gaining the attention it deserves, Pantang should be a beacon. Instead, it is becoming a cautionary tale.
As students pack their bags and nurses walk in fear, the silence from authorities is deafening. The hospital once built on a vision to cater for the populace’s mental afflictions now turned a scene of barren fields, with night threats such that there is an urgent call for attention, accountability, and above all action from authorities. But would these cries ever be heard by authorities and attended to ?
But if only they would, it will give the students their peace of mind and give an ambience for academic growth while serving its purpose as a source of good mental healthcare facility.
The writer is a student of
UniMAC
BY TORTTOH CHARITY