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Dr. Julius Xatse Condemns Inhumane Treatment of Mental Health Patients by Traditional and Faith-Based Healers
•2 min read•1 source
Dr. Julius Xatse, the Acting Medical Director of Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital, has issued a stern warning to faith-based healers and traditional medicine practitioners regarding the inhumane treatment of individuals with mental health conditions. Speaking at a specialized workshop in Kormantse, Dr. Xatse emphasized that practices such as chaining and starving patients do not facilitate healing but instead severely exacerbate their underlying medical conditions. He underscored that such treatments are not only medically counterproductive but constitute significant violations of fundamental human rights and dignity.
The medical director specifically criticized the common use of physical restraints and the subjection of patients to harsh environmental conditions. According to Dr. Xatse, many facilities operated by traditional and spiritual healers provide inadequate accommodation, leaving vulnerable individuals exposed to the elements. Furthermore, he raised alarms over the practice of compulsory fasting, which is often used as a spiritual intervention. He explained that inadequate nutrition and forced starvation can lead to life-threatening physical health complications, making it even more difficult to manage the psychiatric disorders the patients are suffering from.
In his address, Dr. Xatse urged all practitioners to strictly adhere to the provisions of Ghana’s Mental Health Act, 2012 (Act 846). The Act provides a comprehensive legal framework for the protection of the rights of persons with mental disorders and mandates humane treatment across all care settings, whether they be clinical, traditional, or faith-based. By calling for a shift toward more compassionate and evidence-based approaches, Dr. Xatse highlighted the urgent necessity for traditional and spiritual sectors to integrate their efforts with formal medical standards to ensure the safety, recovery, and dignity of all mental health patients in the country.