In the wake of reports of suicide cases across the country, the Wenchi Methodist Hospital has revealed that, it has recorded over 15 attempted cases between January and March 2017.
A psychologist at the hospital, Reverend Kyei Baffour, who spoke to Citi News, described this as alarming, though he noted that suicide has always been a problem in Ghanaian society.
“Issues of suicide have always been… but now because of social media, when it happens, within the twinkle of an eye, everybody hears of it.”
Rev. Baffour also explained that, the numbers were not necessarily reflective of the Wenchi Municipality.
“Within the Wenchi Municipality, the Methodist hospital in Wench is a referral centre which receives cases from Banda area, Tain and other northern parts of the country. Some of the cases didn’t necessarily happen in Wenchi town, but some of the communities in and around Wenchi.”
Suicide and its relating concerns have come to the fore following the death of the daughter of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akyem Central Constituency, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi. She is believed to have hanged herself.
Since that incident, there have been six other cases involving a University of Ghana female student who died.
This called into question the country’s attitude to mental health which a psychologist and suicidologist at the University of Ghana, Dr. Joseph Osafo, said has contributed to the increasing trend of suicide in the country.
The recent spate of suicides, involving persons as young as 16, and a number of students, has prompted MPs to advocate for the strengthening of counselling and guidance mechanisms at the various tertiary institutions.
On the floor of Parliament, the MP for Oforikrom, Dr. Emmanuel Marfo, asserted that more had to be done by way of psychological support systems in schools.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
