Nurses at the country’s foremost psychiatric hospital, Accra Psychiatric Hospital, have begun a sit-down strike dubbed ‘Run from Danger’.
According to the nurses, the action is to draw authorities’ attention to the numerous challenges they are faced with in discharging their daily duties.
Speaking on TV3’s Midday Live on Friday, Jamila Hussein, one of the nurses, claimed their working conditions have so worsened that she will rank it 9 on a scale of 1 – 10.
She said a nurse was as latest as Thursday evening hit in the abdomen by one of the patients at the Hospital.
“As I speak to you, he is seeking medication at the Ridge Hospital,” he told host Martin Asiedu-Dartey.
The nurses threatened strike earlier in the week but it seems their threats were snubbed.
Director of the Mental Health Authority Dr Akwasi Osei sympathized with them and asked government to show full commitment to psychiatric care in the health sector.
He said the nurses would not have gotten to this stage if authorities had been proactive.
Drugs for patients are said to be in short supply, causing some of them to abuse the nurses.
Ms Jamila Hussein said as a result of the situation, they, especially the female nurses, fear visiting some wards to dispense medicine.
She said evening rations for patients have even been cut to some wards due to the situation.
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