Content Warning: The following blog post discusses topics related to sexual assault
Week one of our internships came fast and went even faster. On the first day, Clement, our amazing bus driver, drove each of us to our individual placements. Professors Leslie and Senyo accompanied us to meet the teams we would be working with for the next five weeks. I was incredibly grateful for their support, especially because my anxieties were high. A big shout out to Nadia, professor of biology and associate dean of DEI at the University of Oregon, and Tony, businessman and Nadia’s husband, for cheering us on as we got off the bus! I was the last one to be dropped off since my internship was the furthest from our accommodation in East Legon.
Day 1
The first day of my internship was overwhelming and hectic, to say the least. I had two placements: the Mental Health Authority (MHA) and the Accra Psychiatric Hospital (APH). Initially, we were dropped off at the MHA, but there was a miscommunication about where I was supposed to be and who was supposed to accompany me. We met a woman named Geraldine, who informed us that I was to be at the APH instead of the MHA on my first day. Thankfully, Clement waited for me and drove me to the APH.
Upon arrival at the APH, Senyo, and Leslie did not want to leave until we found the person I was supposed to meet (so grateful for them). We checked a few places, including the Public Relations office, which was locked. Senyo made a few phone calls, and, after what felt like an eternity, we met Dr. Peggy, a psychiatrist at the APH. Dr. Peggy informed us that the staff at the APH were on strike for the day, and she herself was on leave. They were not expecting me until the last two weeks of the internship. Despite the confusion, Dr. Peggy introduced us to a kind woman who had worked in the PR office for 13 years, and she gave me a tour of the facilities. Once we found her, Senyo, Leslie, and Clement were able to head out for the rest of their day.
From the front, the facilities looked quite normal. The APH is like the motel of hospitals, meaning it’s not an enclosed building; offices and wards are connected outside. However, once we ventured deeper, what seemed normal changed drastically.
Before I dive into my personal experience of touring the psychiatric hospital, I want to share a bit of history about the APH that I wish I had known beforehand.
Brief History of APH:
– APH is the oldest psychiatric hospital in the region.
– APH is of only three psychiatric hospitals in the country
– APH is known for an undercover journalist’s exposé (definitely check this out)
– APH has experienced multiple strikes over the years due to various issues, including the maltreatment of patients and workers.
– APH recently found a way to properly manage their waste, which had previously been done in a way that was harmful to all of the people in the facilities.
These are definitely things I should have researched before starting my internship. What would you call a journalist who didn’t do their homework? Unprepared and terrified. To be fair, the limited information I found online (mostly broken links and sparse reviews) wasn’t as helpful as I had hoped.
The first place we explored was Ward 3, which housed 30 men ordered by the courts to be there. These men were there for crimes such as rape.
~Wonderful.~
The lack of security was evident as we entered the ward by simply pushing open a gate. Due to the strike, I couldn’t get a full tour, but I wonder what I would have seen on a different day. Even with limited exposure, I was already overwhelmed and scared.
The conditions these patients were in were inhumane. This could be due to the lack of funding the hospital receives, but it could also be a result of various other reasons.
I did not see all of the patients, but those I did see were lying on the dirt floor and eating directly off it. It’s hard to imagine how anyone diagnosed with depression, schizophrenia, or other mental health conditions could find any relief in such an environment. It’s no wonder mental health is still so stigmatized; it felt more like a prison than a place of healing. However, the facility members that I did meet seemed to be there for the right reasons; it was just very sad to see the lack of resources all patients and workers had to deal with.
Some of the facilities were nicer than others, and all of the staff were very welcoming, which was helpful. There were three places that I felt comfortable within the facilities: The occupational therapy office, the drug and alcohol rehabilitation offices, and the laundry room (LOL).
I did not feel equipped with the right information to completely understand where my role would be, nor did I feel like I should be working closely with the patients without any knowledge of what goes on in the facilities and how patients are typically cared for. They were not asking me to help with patients, but with them being everywhere throughout the facilities, it would have been nice to know what to do if something went wrong. However, the regulations seemed quite strange to me. I wished I could have taken photos of the facilities, but due to patient privacy and the fact that patients were scattered throughout the facilities, it wasn’t possible, nor would I have felt comfortable doing so.
After the initial visit, I had very low expectations for what I was supposed to accomplish over the next few weeks. I was also trying to stay safe without fully understanding what was happening around the facilities. Although the staff tried to be transparent, there wasn’t any place that felt comfortable to me, and no one seemed to know what to do with me. After about an hour of exploring, I was told there was nothing else to do for the day and that I could go home.
Later that night, I was able to decompress with my roommates and professors about the day’s events. My hopes for this internship were low, considering the conditions of the facilities and the lack of communication between my two internship sites. Two questions resonated with me after my first day: What am I going to do here for four more weeks? Will I be safe staying here at this hospital for the next four weeks?
Day 2
Luckily, after my first day at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, I received a message to meet with Dr. Dansoa Nuamah (Nana) at the Mental Health Authority the following day. I was relieved to have more time to mentally prepare before returning to the psychiatric hospital and to plan what I wanted from that experience. It was challenging because I knew I couldn’t make a significant change to the status of their care in just four weeks. However, I recognized the importance of advocacy for better mental health services and saw the role I could play at the Mental Health Authority.
Meeting Nana put me at ease. She is a psychiatrist and the head of the communications department at the Mental Health Authority. She apologized for the communication mishap the previous day, and we had an amazing conversation. Her insights and intelligence reassured me about the internship. Nana explained the connections between the Mental Health Authority and the psychiatric hospital, highlighting their efforts to advocate for sufficient funding and better facilities to provide the care patients deserve.
Mental health in Ghana still lacks recognition, and Nana and I discussed the parallels between the Indigenous communities of America and Ghana regarding mental health. It was comforting to share common experiences and understand some of the challenges she mentioned, as Native Americans often face similar stigmas and inadequate healthcare services as those in Ghana.
Meeting with Nana provided a valuable perspective on the broader context of mental health care in Ghana. Her explanation of the connections between the Mental Health Authority and the psychiatric hospital, along with their advocacy for improved funding and facilities, offered me a sense of direction and purpose for my internship. While it was clear that a four-week period was not enough to effect sweeping changes, the experience indicates the critical need for ongoing advocacy and reform in mental health services.
As I continue my journey, I carry with me a renewed commitment to advocacy and a deeper understanding of the systemic issues impacting mental health care. The insights gained from Nana and my time at the Mental Health Authority will guide my efforts to support meaningful change and improve mental health services.
