By Kebba AF Touray
The National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed that inadequate qualified mental health personnel are affecting healthcare service delivery at health facilities.
The NAO also added that it also increases the number of mentally ill patients unattended across the country.
The audit office revealed this in its performance audit on the provision of mental health by the Ministry of Health 2024 report.
The Mental Health Coordinating Unit (MHCU), as indicated by the audit office, attributed the inadequacy of psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses in the various healthcare facilities to the high attrition rate of staff.
According to MHCU, eight (8) out of twenty (20) psychiatric nurses (representing 40%) who were working in health facilities had resigned during the period under review.
The Gambia Health Centre Policy 2021-2030 also stated that the critical shortage of psychiatric nurses is due to high attrition.
NAO said, “We noted during our interview with staff of the MHCU that high attrition is due to poor working conditions. Thus, the psychiatric personnel leave when they find better opportunities elsewhere”.
According to the NAO, this is also attributed to the limited effort by
MoH to train more nurses and doctors in health facilities to enhance
their capacity to offer mental health services.
“Inadequate qualified mental health personnel negatively affect mental healthcare service delivery at health facilities and increases the number of mentally ill patients unattended across the country,” NAO said.
NAO reported that from their interviews at the facilities visited, they have found that only EFSTH has the required number of psychiatric nurses.
The rest of the facilities, the office said, fell short of the required staff level in terms of mental health care personnel.
It highlighted that “Fajikunda Major Health Centre, Brikama District Hospital, Bwiam, and Bansang General Hospital were without trained mental health care personnel as at the time of our visit. The mental healthcare provider at Bansang General Hospital is not a trained psychiatric nurse”.
The audit office averred that Brikama District Hospital is also without a psychiatric nurse, however, they were informed that the Community Mental Health Team does visit the Brikama District Hospital weekly (on Wednesdays) to offer mental health services.
“The inadequacy and unavailability of psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses in these public health facilities poses the risk of some patients not receiving the right diagnosis at the appropriate time,” said NAO.
According to NAO, the management in its response admitted that as a ministry they are aware of the Human Resource Capacity gap with regards to mental health services.
“We have started training nurses and doctors to help narrow this gap. Currently, there are two Psychiatric Doctors at the EFSTH and one Gambian Doctor is currently in Ghana specializing in psychiatry,” said the Ministry in the report.
The Management also said that the MoH will continue to engage partners to support this area and encourage staff to specialize in this field of Medicine.
