A total of 330 alleged witches have received psychiatric help at four camps in the Northern and North East Regions to improve their mental health and well-being.
The week-long engagement benefited the Gambaga accused witches’ camp in the North East Region, as well as the Kukuo, Gnani, and Kpatinga alleged witches’ camps in the Northern Region.
The event was sponsored by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in partnership with the Total Life Enhancement Centre (TOLEC-GH), a psychology-focused group, and was funded by the French Embassy in Ghana.
Speaking at a brief ceremony to conclude the engagement, Adam Nantomah Baani, North East Regional Director of CHRAJ, said it was designed to support the rehabilitation procedures of the convicts as well as stabilise any psychological trauma against them.
He stated that CHRAJ, through its Access to Justice for Elderly Women Accused of Witchcraft program, obtained funding from Crossroad International, an NGO, in 2021 to conduct a survey on some of the issues faced inmates at the various camps around the area.
According to the survey findings, the detainees faced eating restrictions, nutritional imbalances, and psychological trauma as a result of the catastrophic impact of the assaults and abuses meted out to them.
According to Baani, as part of the efforts to address the difficulties revealed by the survey, CHRAJ conducted the screening and sensitization exercise to assist address their mental health concerns and improve their overall well-being.
He stated that around 70 senior high and junior high students, as well as certain opinion leaders in the communities where the camps were located, were sensitised.
The activity was supervised by Peter Amadu Mintir, a clinical psychologist and executive director of TOLEC-GH, who emphasised the need for psychological therapies for convicts, saying it ensured their entire health and wellness.
He stated that a report on the engagement will be provided to CHRAJ in order to decide the next step of assistance for the detainees.
