By Kemo Cham
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has emphasized the need for investment in mental health care, citing its importance to the attainment of the mainstay of his government’s development plan – human capital.
Bio, while speaking at the inauguration of the newly refurbished Sierra Leone Psychiatric Teaching Hospital (SLPTH) complex last week, said mental health intervention was also important given the impact of over three decades of traumatic events that had characterized the country - from the 1991-2002 civil war, to catastrophic natural disasters like the August 2017 mudslide and flooding in Freetown, to the 2014 Ebola epidemic and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“All these events and beyond have induced conditions from post-traumatic stress disorder and grief, to anxiety, depression, psychosis, acute stress, and harmful substance abuse,” Bio said.
He added: “Combine this with autism, epilepsy, bipolar and psychotic disorders, intellectual and cognitive disabilities, and more, and we recognise that as a nation, we must act now. We must invest heavily in mental healthcare.”
The president went on to say that as a government, his administration believed in harnessing the full potential of every Sierra Leonean, noting that improving and promoting mental health care is an essential part of ensuring that as well as achieving Universal Health Care coverage.
Mental health is thought to be a major issue in Sierra Leone, but decades of neglect by successive governments meant that many Sierra Leoneans with mental health issues have been abandoned to their fate. Consequently, the colonial era built psychiatric facility located in the east end of Freetown became overcrowded and a place associated with abuse of patients. Due to lack of medication and equipment, patients were kept in chains, with virtually no medication, leading to worsening of their conditions.
This rehabilitation project, funded by the US-based NGO, Partners in Health, began in 2019.
President Bio said it is also part of fulfilment of his election campaign promise for the health sector, as contained in the governing SLPP’s manifesto.
The president in his speech also acknowledged the other problems associated with mental illness in Sierra Leone - stigmatization and discrimination – and vowed to act on them accordingly.
Minister of Health and Sanitation, Professor Alpha Tejan Wurie, described the event as “special,” noting that it reflected the preparedness of the government to take leadership in starting the process to destigmatise mental health.
John Lascher, Executive Director of Partners in Health, said the project serves as an example of how nongovernmental organisations could partner effectively with government towards attaining quality and affordable healthcare.
Dr Abdul Jalloh, the head of SLPTH, gave a historical background of the facility and praised the government, Partners in Health and other organisations for their role in uplifting the facility and thereby improving on services delivery in line with international best practices.
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