Abuse of Mentally Disabled in Ghana
    Psychiatric institutions and spiritual healing centers in Ghana are suffering from severe abuses. The Human Rights Watch stated that the government has not done very much to solve this problem. There have been little attempts to fight or prevent this abuse from taking place. Thousands of people are forced to live in institutions that this abuse takes place. They often are taken there against their will. They also rarely can even challenge their imprisonment. The hospitals are overcrowded and are very unsanitary (poor conditions). In these prayer camps (spiritual healing centers) they have patients chained to trees (often in the blazing sun) and made to fast for weeks as a part of the "healing process," and without medications. These people also face stigma, discrimination, and lack of shelter, food, and healthcare. Medi Ssengooba stated, that the government needs to act against these abuses. The Human Rights Watch reported this based on 170 interviews with the people in the country's three public psychiatric hospitals, and the eight prayer camps as well as the community. The also interviewed family members, healthcare providers, administrators, and staff of prayer camps, government officials, staff members for local and international organizations working in Ghana. The World Health Organization estimated that almost 3 million citizens of Ghana live with mental disabilities and 600,000 of those people have severe mental problems.
    There are three psychiatric hospitals (public) in Accra, Pantang, and Ankaful. These hold an estimated 1,000 people all with mental disabilities. All three facilities were reported to have unsanitary conditions which included: foul odors in some wards, feces on the floors because of broken sewage systems. Accara's hospital was extremely overcrowded and a lot of people spent the day outside of the actual building in the blazing sun with no or little shade.  Many of these patients are said to be associated with the Pentecostal churches. These camps are run by self-proclaimed prophets and they operate completely outside of the governments control. Those at these camps do not get medical treatment and in some places it is even prohibited even if a medical doctor has prescribed it. Instead prophets try to "cure" patients through the use of miracles, consultation with "angels," and spiritual healing. The conditions were worse in the camps than the hospitals. Nearly all the patients at the eight different camps were chained to trees by their ankles in open areas. They had to sleep, urinate, defecate, and bathe in these same areas. Some had even been there for as long as five months. Part of the process was forcing patients (some were kids under ten years old) to fast for weeks. These fasts typically start with 36 hours of dry-fasting (not allowed to have water).
    Doris Appiah lived in a prayer camp and a psychiatric hospital for over 10 years and is now living in the community. She said that while she was in the camp she was bound with ropes for over two months and forced to take herbs that were harmful to her which caused side effects to her tongue. The Human Rights Watch stated, "As soon as you get a mental disability, you nearly lose all your rights, even to give your opinion.” In July 2012 the Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities was enstated. This convention states that countries have to take steps to make sure the people with mental disabilities have the option to make life decisions for themselves. This also includes where they live, who they live with, and does not allow them to be forced into institutions. The 2012 Mental Health Act (put into effect in June) provided a system that allows people with disabilities to fight against their forced time in psychiatric hospitals. This law does not apply to the camps and in most camps the people cannot leave until the prophet says they are healed. This act allows for people to be forced in psychiatric hospitals and promotes guardianship that supports decision-making that restricts people with mental disabilities from making their own decisions. Both are not consistent with the Disability Rights Convention.
    The Human Rights Watch said that the government should create community-based services (housing, healthcare, etc) that allow people with mental disabilities to live in the community. Facilities that allow people who are admitted/treated (including prayer camps) should be regulated. They should also make sure that people are not held against their will in these facilities and they should have access to ways of challenging violations of their rights.
    The harsh treatment of these people and the violation of rights is simply wrong. Controlling the quality of these peoples lives is not consistent with basic human rights. Neither is taking away their freedom or right to choose. Withholding medication, keeping them chained without necessities in the same place they use the bathroom is simply inhumane. Every human being has the right to freedom of choice and the right to live a healthy, happy, and decent life regardless of any disabilities.


Molly Winfree
04/05/2013
3:34 pm
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/03/31/ghana-people-mental-disabilities-face-serious-abuse