The Korle Bu Addictive Disease Unit (ADU) has been refurbished to a pleasant, comfortable space at a cost of GHC 130,000.
The refurbishment project included civil works, tilling, electrical works and interior decoration.
The renovation work also saw the installation of new air conditioners, wash rooms for both clients and staff and the Centre is now expanded to take more patients in a conducive environment.
The refurbishment was jointly funded by Family Ventures Limited and Lifeforms Limited.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, CEO of Korle Bu, Dr Daniel Asare, said the operations of the Centre will soon be digitized. He said this will ease the frustrations clients go through in accessing care at the ADU.
“The Addictive Disease Unit is now upgraded to a Centre and it should be recognized as such” he added and expressed appreciation to the donors who renovated the Centre.
The Addictive Disease Centre which was established about 28 years ago, sees patients from various parts of the country and beyond. The Centre offers counselling and treatment to people living with all forms addictions such as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, injection pethidine, tramadol, cannabis, nicotine and heroin.
Aside receiving patients referred from departments in the Hospital, other patients are also brought in by relatives and friends. The Centre also receives referrals from the neighboring countries. The Centre sees an average of five patients a day.
The Centre also conducts research, teaching and training for students posted from medical schools in the country.
Currently, Korle Bu has 10 staff who hold Internationally Certified Addictions Professionals (ICAP I) certificates. The ICAP is a programme that licenses people who have passed the exams to practice as addiction counsellors worldwide. The certificate is renewable after every three years.
History of ADU Centre by Mr. Amegashie, Head of the Centre
On the 26th July, 1993, I met Dr. Isaac Newman who was the Head of the Addictive Diseases Unit. He told me he was sponsored by the Ghana Government through the Ministry of Health to study the management of Substance Use Disorders (S.U.Ds) / Drug Addiction. He was tasked by the government to start a hundred and ten of these units across the 40 districts at the time.
He, however, was able to start only the A.D.U in Korle Bu from February, 1991. I was a young graduate of the University of Ghana Legon and brought in as a client. My interest was motivated by Dr. Newman asking, “Can I work with you?” after I thought I could do nothing because alcohol had the better part of me. The frustration and challenges were very difficult in the early gestation of the unit. The resilience of Dr. Isaac Newman, with the support of our new Deputy Director of Nursing Services (DDNS) of Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Sammy Ohene and the Headship of the Nursing Administration of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, ADU continued to struggle under the Department of Medicine. Our hope as a Unit was rejuvenated when Former President Kufuor cut the sod for the construction of a new centre.
However, our hopes were dashed as the project was abandoned. Korle Bu Teaching Hospital then sponsored my MPhil Programme in Clinical Psychology in 2000. The challenge was the threat of closure and they never went away. We kept on frustrating the attempts to close the unit. Then luckily I got sponsorship to study about Drug Addiction in the State of Israel in the year 2012.
Fortunately, Addictive Disease Unit, found itself under the Department of Psychiatry four (4) years ago and things switched, going better with a DDNS who had earlier worked with us Mrs Juliana Hammah. Dr. Sammy Ohene and Prof. Angela Ofori Atta and entire Department of Psychiatry staff saw the import of Addictions Management, hence, our present destination.
I will forever be grateful to those who in diverse ways have pulled us from grass to grace and Korle Bu can boast of financing the qualification of ten (10) of its staff as internationally Certified Addictions Professionals (ICAP I) including a medical specialist. I hold the ICAP II and I am now a National Trainer for Addiction Professionals under the Colombo Plan of the American Government.
FROM A CLIENT TO UNIT HEAD. FORWARD EVER.
