A non-governmental organisation (NGO), has appealed to political parties to spell out comprehensive strategies, in dealing with the issue of mentally challenged persons, to enhance the welfare of victims, and protect the nation’s citizens.
A New Beginning Rehabilitation Center (NBRC), has lamented that the presence of mentally challenged persons in the country, posed significant threat to public safety and well-being.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NGO, Osman Ahmed Okyere, in a statement, copied the Ghanaian Times, noted that not much was heard from political parties, presidential and parliamentary candidates about plans to address the issue of mentally challenged persons, as the country gears up for another general election.
He said: “though these power seekers are criss-crossing the country canvassing for votes, with the promise to solve health, education, social, economic and environmental problems, we hardly hear them talk about how they would tackle the issue of mentally challenged persons, a matter that has serious consequences on national development.”
The NGO, therefore, urged activists and political parties “to as a matter of urgency give priority to the issue of mentally challenged persons and its associated problem of homelessness, as you seek the people’s mandate to govern the country in the 2024 General Election.”
“Successive governments have made attempts to allocate sufficient resources towards the mental health care system, but this is not enough to deal with this rather complex issue,” Mr Okyere said.
He reminded political parties that mentally challenged persons also contributed to unhygienic conditions as they littered the environment with loads of waste – rubbish, empty bottles and cans, plastics and left-over food.
“From nowhere, some of them appear in front of or at the sides of vehicles in traffic jams to ‘demand’ money, scaring the occupants,” the NGO that advocates the wellbeing of mentally challenged persons, observed.
“The country has also experienced alarming incidents of mentally challenged persons attacking civilians, in cities like Accra and Kumasi, resulting in injuries and fatalities,” the NBRC said.