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The Mental Health Authority has secured a GH�300.000 lifeline loan for the three public psychiatric hospitals. Out of the amount, the Accra Psychiatric Hospital had GH�150,000; the Pantang Hospital was given GH�100,000 and the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital received GH�50, 000. The loans are to be repaid by the hospitals after the Ministry of Health has released the monies to them. Dr Akwasi Osei, the Chief Psychiatrist and Specialist in charge of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, told the Daily Graphic in Accra that even though the disbursement of the loan was not a direct result of the demonstration by nurses at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital last Tuesday, the gesture had brought about some relief. He explained that the board took the decision to disburse the loan last week and was expecting repayment after the ministry had released the money to the hospitals. Dr Osei said the money would be used to purchase injectables and other supplies. He described the gesture as a short-term one, explaining that discussions were going on with the ministry over the matter. Dr Osei said the NGO, Breastcare International, had been donating various drugs to the hospitals in the past four years, explaining that the NGO was able to collect some drugs for psychiatric treatment because some breast cancer patients sometimes needed such medications. He said the Ministry of Health had concluded procurement procedures to facilitate the purchase of drugs for the hospitals but even if the Ministry of Finance released money for that purpose, it could take as long as a year for the order to arrive. The Chief Psychiatrist said the establishment of the Mental Health Fund that would allow the hospitals to procure their own medicines and supplies would be a long-term solution to the financial problems that faced the psychiatric hospitals. He added that a legislative instrument had been drafted and was at the Attorney General�s Department. From there it would be presented to Parliament. Last Tuesday, nurses at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital protested the lack of basic psychotropic medications at the facility. They threatened to embark on an industrial action within one week, if their grievances were not addressed and have since presented a petition to the Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority. Among others, they complained that the hospital also lacked essential logistics, including oxygen, gloves, gauze and disinfectants, saying the situation posed a lot of danger to the medical staff in particular and the patients. They also said the lack of basic physical and psychotropic medication, basic logistics to work with and poor environmental conditions at the hospital hindered the effective discharge of their duties.