The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has recently called upon government to urgently show greater sensitivity to the current deplorable state of Mental Health Care in Ghana by speedily passing and implementing the Mental Health Bill. Further to this, the GMA has undertaken to build a National Coalition of advocates from civil society, professional bodies and the press for comprehensive Mental Health Reform. The Association unanimously adopted this position after a meeting of its 5th National Executive Council meeting held at the Upland Hotel, Wa in the Upper West Region . The pertinent discussions focused on the total lack of urgency in passing and implementing the Mental Health bill and reform a whole year after the drafting of the Mental Health Bill. The Bill is expected to define the legal and regulatory framework for Mental Health Practice in Ghana. The doctors also expressed deep concern about deplorable conditions for patient care at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital resulting in serious overcrowding of over 200% above its maximum capacity. Attention was also drawn to the current limited or no coverage of mental health under NHIS and the severe shortages in healthcare professionals culminating in the current state of 15 psychiatrists only four of whom are in active practice, 600 psychiatric nurses and 115 community psychiatric nurses when minimum requirements are 3000 and 2000 respectively! In a related interview, the Acting Chief Psychiatrist Dr Akwasi Osei expressed joy at the support offered by the GMA and hoped that their commitment would soon begin to yield fruitful results in the field of mental health care. Source: Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey General Secretary Ghana Medical Association