“You would be serving a patient food and he/she would tell you the quantity is so small and throw the food on you. And this is a hot food we are talking about.

“Sometimes some patients can spit on you or verbally abuse you…my lips are like this because of a hefty blow from a patient due to drugs shortage in the past…”

“I nearly lost a tooth and for two weeks all I could take was liquid food."

This story is no different from what several psychiatric nurses in hospitals across the country go through on daily basis.

Incidents of physical attacks on psychiatric nurses are likely to increase because of the absence of essential drugs needed for mental health patients.

“I am about giving up because you can’t negotiate your safety and I have had my fair share of attacks too,” a nurse who works at the OPD said. 

She said she was behind the reception door when an aggressive patient kicked the door which had been locked. 

“He used his legs to hit the middle part of the door which came off and landed on my shoulder. I nearly dislocated my shoulder,” she told Joy News.

The lack of medical, food and other essential supplies needed for the running of the hospital makes it impossible for these nurses to take care of their patients.

So they have decided to lay down their tools until something is done about the situation.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health’s PRO, Tony Goodman says they are unable to tell when the Accra Psychiatric Hospital will receive the needed support.

He said they are aware of the situation and that the Health Minister is talking with the Finance Ministry to solve the problem.

Mr Goodman says as soon as the Health Ministry secures some funds, they will make the drugs available to the Hospital.

He could not tell, however, if the situation would be addressed by the close of the week although the nurses are on a one-week sit-down strike.

The PRO is hopeful the hospital would not close down.