UHAS launches Medical Students Association Week
The Medical Director of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital has asked Ghanaians to be compassionate while dealing with persons who suffer from mental illnesses so that they can discuss their difficulties with others.
Professor Akwesi Osei made this remark during the University of Health and Allied Sciences’ opening of the Medical Students Week Celebration.
According to him, mental health and mental sickness refer to a condition of total physical, mental, and social well-being rather than the absence of disease or infirmity.
He went on to say that mental health is also a condition of well-being in which an individual recognizes his or her own strengths, such as the ability to manage with everyday stress, work successfully and fruitfully, and contribute to his or her community.
He pointed out that, while mental disease does not always result in death, it does shorten one’s lifespan by 12-20 years.
He noted that health personnel who address the physical ailments of people with mental illness often ignore, discriminate, and marginalize them, resulting in a shorter lifetime.
Poor mental health, he claims, exacerbates physical problems, and mental disease can lead to suicide or despair, among other things.
He asked the public to consider it as a shared obligation to assist those who are suffering from mental illnesses and to show them love and care in order to extend their lives.
He defined mental health as “a condition of well-being in which an individual recognizes his or her own ability to cope with normal life stress, work successfully and fruitfully, and contribute to his or her community,” according to him.
Dr. Eugene Dordorye, Senior Lecturer and Consultant, suggested that medical students be made more aware of mental health concerns.
He also advocated for mental health to be included and prioritized during health exams.
Another area to explore in terms of mental health, according to Dr. Eugene Dordoye, is a monitoring system to enhance academic advisor–advise policy, students counseling center, and peer support.
Reginald Asante Birikorang, President of the UHAS Medical Students Association, stated that mental health is just as essential as physical health.
This, he claims, is because mental health disorders sneak into people’s life quietly and rob them of their finest years if they are not addressed.
“Looking back a few years, the recent tragedy of one of our colleagues, Joshua Opuni of UGMS, who died by suicide as a result of a long-term fight with depression [shows why] we cannot ignore mental illness. “
He stated that these concerns are on the rise among students, and that, like others, more awareness and access to mental health services are needed.
We’ve done initiatives to raise awareness of hepatitis, glaucoma, sickle cell illness, and, most recently, HIV. This year’s primary initiative will aim to spread the message that mental health is important to everyone.“ According to Reginald Asante Birikorang.
