The Christian Health Association of Ghana [CHAG], is urging medical professionals to become more active in advocacy efforts to put mental health on their professional agenda. 

This comes as CHAG begins community sensitisation with doctors, medical superintendents, physician assistants and nurses who work within the Anti-retroviral Treatment and the Adolescent Support Units.

The Gender-based violence on tuberculosis and HIV engagement is to strengthen health facilities with persons living with disorders and those facing it’s violence, so they could effectively play a role in monitoring and advocating for the creation of a violence-free health policy related to Tuberculosis and HIV collaborative services.

Benjamin Cheabu, Senior Programmes Manager at CHAG is optimistic that the workshop will equip participants with tools to help those affected by these menace.

“The principal intent is to be able to equip these prescribers with the best knowledge available so they could be able to support persons living with HIV who experience Gender-based Violence,” he said.

The head of the Psychiatric Department at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, (KATH), Dr Ruth Owusu-Antwi, was worried violence against women continue to affect their daily lives.

She believes health professionals must have enough time to provide a holistic mental health care to the numerous patients who need their services.

She therefore stressed the need for healthcare professionals to patronise the mental health of persons facing gender-based violence.

“As healthcare professionals, if persons visit your consulting room, find ways and means of identifying if they have encountered any form of violence,” she added.