The National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) has handed over a fully furnished canteen facility for the staff and patients of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, as part of its corporate social responsibility.
“The hospital and its operations are so dear to us, as an authority. Furthermore, we are neighbours, by way of proximity. We are all aware that in recent years the delivery of mental health services in Ghana has expanded substantially, especially since the passing of the Mental Health Act in 2012.
“This has brought some pressure on facilities in mental health institutions in the country, including this very one. This little contribution, we believe, will, therefore, help alleviate some of your plight,” NPRA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Hayford Attah Krufi, said during a ceremony to handover the facility to the hospital’s management.
The canteen, funded by the Authority, is the first of its kind in the hospital’s 117 year history and expected to bring relief to staff, patients and other users of the hospital.
“I am told this hospital was established in 1904 and had never had a canteen. Almost all the over 700 members of staff and over 100 visitors have to go outside the walls to find food for themselves, a situation which, I believe, thwarts the smooth progress of work,” he said.
For his part, the Director of the hospital, Dr. Pinaman Appau, noted that the lack of a canteen has been a major concern to staff and visitors alike over the years.
“We were, therefore, very glad when the NPRA approached the hospital administration to fund a project of our choice. Let me quickly add that we were fortunate and pleasantly relieved that they chose the canteen from the many projects outlined in our programme of work.
“The construction of the canteen within the hospital’s premises will not only boost the morale and motivation of the staff, as they will not have to go out of the facility to look for food, but productivity is also expected to increase,” he said in a speech read on his behalf.
