Authorities at the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital in the Central Region are appealing to government to step in to halt the increasing rate of encroachment on the hospital’s lands.
According to them, the once congenial atmosphere needed to support the rehabilitation process of their patients has been threatened by the springing up of residential apartments on their lands.
The Deputy Director in charge of Administration, Godwin Pongo, told TV3 that the rate of encroachment is likely to affect future plans of expanding the hospital’s infrastructure to meet the increasing number of patients.
“The land is being encroached upon,” he told TV3, adding, “As I’m talking to you now, residential accommodation are springing up around the mortuary, very close to the mortuary. If these people are not stopped they will build close to the wall.
He said efforts by the hospital authorities to stop the encroachment have not yielded results. According to him, they have written to the Regional Director in charge of lands but nothing has been done about it.
“The land owners are saying that the government has not paid the necessary compensation… very soon they will sell the whole hospital so we need to do something about it” he said
Poor roads
Mr Pongo also complained of the poor road networks leading to the hospital, which he said is posing a serious challenge to them and patients. Large portions of the asphalted road have been removed, thus creating big potholes on the road.
He said drivers are gradually ceasing to ply that road thus compelling some patients and staff to walk long distance to the main road to pick car. This, he noted, has exposed the staff and the patients to criminals who usually attack them, especially at night.
He said vehicles that dared to use the road frequently break down, something he explained, has discouraged people from plying the road.
“People have to walk from the hospital to the main road before they could get car and the situation is even dangerous at night. Very soon patients will not be able to come here if the situation is not changed,” he said.
Mr Pongo has therefore appealed to the District Assembly and the government to intervene to stop the encroachment on their lands and also fix the bad roads leading to the facility.
By Kwame Kakraba|3news.com|Ghana