Mental Health Awareness Month: Asafohene leads mental health screening exercise at Asafo Palace

 

The Psychiatry Unit of Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, in collaboration with Asafohene Akyamfuo Asafo Boakye Agyemang Bonsu, has organised a mental health screening and awareness programme for residents of Asafo in Kumasi.


The exercise took place at the Asafo Palace on Friday, May 15, 2026, as part of activities marking Purple Month of May. 


The event aimed to raise awareness about mental health issues and educate the public on available solutions and treatment options.


Asafohene Akyamfuo Asafo Boakye Agyemang Bonsu became the first to undergo screening at the programme, demonstrating the importance of regular mental health check-ups.


  

He commended the hospital’s Psychiatry Unit for the initiative, describing the exercise as “timely, beneficial and necessary for the wellbeing of the community.”



Speaking on behalf of the unit’s lead clinicians, Psychiatrist Dr. Pearl Adu Nyarko said stigma remains one of the biggest barriers preventing people from seeking help.


“Many people living with mental health conditions are often neglected and discriminated against, making their situation worse,” Dr. Adu Nyarko noted.


 She urged the public to stop stigmatizing persons with mental health conditions and to show them love, care and support instead.  



She cautioned that continued discrimination and neglect could lead to severe emotional trauma and even suicidal cases if affected persons do not get urgent attention.


Residents who participated said the education had enlightened them on mental health issues and preventive measures to help avoid illness.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

KTI Gets Boost as PTA Hands Over Mechanized Borehole and Renovated Reservoir

Image
  The Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI) in the Ashanti Region has handed over a mechanized borehole and renovated water reservoir to the school.  The new facilities are expected to improve the institution's water supply for both students and staff. Addressing the audience during the handing over ceremony on Thursday, February 19, 2026, PTA Chairperson Mr. Lowford Achemfour Boateng said the restored reservoir and newly drilled borehole will ensure a more reliable water supply.  He urged stakeholders to continue supporting the school for improved outcomes, adding that the PTA will keep providing help to enhance teaching and learning. Ashanti Regional Deputy Chairman for TVET, Mr. Kodjo Dablah, commended the PTA for their support and urged the school's management to maintain the facilities properly.  The project is a boost to the school's infrastructure, coming after the old reservoir had been in a deplorable state, causing water sho...
Read more

Kumasi Technical Institute Receives Completed First Phase of PTA Renovation Project

Image
  The Parent Teacher Association of the Kumasi Technical Institute has officially handed over the first phase of a major renovation project to school authorities in the Kumasi Metropolis. Phase One of the project includes the painting and expansion of the school’s dining hall, the painting of the administration block, science block, and boys’ dormitory, as well as the provision of new dining hall tables and benches. The PTA also supplied a public address system and supported the expansion of the school’s auditorium. Speaking to OTEC Fm reporter ASARE Diana on behalf of the PTA during the handover ceremony on December 2, 2025, at the school premises, the PTA Financial Secretary Mr. Yahusa Basit said the renovation aims to create a more conducive teaching and learning environment while enhancing the school’s overall cleanliness and appearance , he expressed profound gratitude to all parents whose contributions made the project possible. Mr. Basit further urged school authorities to t...
Read more

A/R: Concerned Small-Scale Miners Allege Harassment and Extortion by Police,Calls for Probe

Image
  Members of the National Concerned Small Scale Miners at Manso-Watreso and other communities in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region are alleging harassment and extortion by police officers from Bekwai under the Ashanti South Regional Police Command. The miners in a statement on Monday alleged that officers from the command regularly visit sites belonging to members of the National Concerned Small Scale Miners Association to carry out operations and, in the process, allegedly collect money from miners without justification.  Some affected miners claim the officers often remove the number plates of the vehicles they use during these operations, making it difficult to properly identify them or authenticate the operations. The miners have condemned what they describe as constant harassment by the police and are calling on the Minister of the Interior, the Inspector-General of Police, the Ashanti Regional Minister, as well as the Amansie West, South and Central Distri...
Read more