By
Philip Tengzu, GNA
Wechiau, (UW/R), Dec
02, GNA – Mr Randy Sedem Agbodo, the Upper West Regional Coordinator of Mental
Health at the Ghana Health Service, has advised students to avoid using drugs
and other unnatural means to stay awake to study.
The practice,
according to him, could result in mental Health issues if it was not stopped.
“Too much learning
cannot cause mental illness, but stress can cause it, and using drugs and other
things to learn can cause stress of the brain”, he explained.
Mr Agbodo gave the
advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Wechiau in the Wa West
District.
He entreated
students to have enough rest anytime they were tired to enable them freshen up
their brains rather than using drugs to stay awake.
Talking on the
Mental Health Act, Act 846 (2012), Mr Agbodo indicated that the Act sought to
decentralise mental health care to the grassroots level.
He said that would
ensure timely access to the services and protect the rights of Persons with
Mental Disorder (PMD).
He, therefore,
encouraged families with mental health patients and persons with mental health
issues to seek treatment at the various facilities as the conditions were
curable.
The Mental Health
Coordinator said his outfit was carrying out activities including; public
education on mental health issues, which helped to reduce the cases of mental
illness and stigma against PMD in the region.
He, however, said
inadequate drugs and logistics such as vehicles for the mental health
department was a setback in their efforts to fight the canker.
Mr Agbodo lamented
that his department relied on donors for drugs to treat mental health
patients,that was not sustainable and called on the government to supply drugs
regularly to help bridge the gap in the drug supply.
GNA
