The Acting Head of the Psychiatry Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr. Ruth Owusu-Antwi, has raised concerns over Ghana’s capacity to respond to the growing menace of substance abuse, warning that the country is facing a “huge crisis” due to a severe shortage of addiction specialists and treatment facilities.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show after the airing of Deadly Doses 2—the latest Hotline documentary by investigative journalist Nana Boakye Yiadom—the psychiatrist said the country’s already limited mental healthcare workforce is further constrained by the small number of professionals with specialised training in addiction management.
The documentary investigates the growing dangers posed by drug abuse and counterfeit medicines, exposing their devastating impact on individuals, families and communities.
Commenting on the issues highlighted in the documentary, the KATH psychiatrist said Ghana’s shortage of psychiatrists is only part of the problem.
“Even more worrying is the number of psychiatrists we have in this country, and the number of psychiatrists who are sub-specialised in addiction management,” she said.
According to him, addiction treatment is a highly specialised area of psychiatry and mental healthcare that requires dedicated education, clinical training and treatment approaches beyond general psychiatric practice.
“Addiction is a sub-speciality in psychiatry and mental health. Mental health nurses, psychiatrists and other cadres within the mental health fraternity can specialise in addiction because it comes with unique training and treatment strategies,” she explained.
Although psychiatrists receive some level of training in managing substance use disorders during their professional education, she noted that only a small fraction pursue advanced specialisation in addiction medicine.
“Considering the already low number of psychiatrists in general, those who have specifically sub-specialised in addiction management are very few,” she stated.
She stressed that the shortage extends across the entire mental healthcare system, affecting nearly every professional group involved in the treatment and rehabilitation of people living with substance use disorders.
“When we look across the different professions—from doctors and mental health nurses to clinical psychologists, social workers, therapists and other members of the mental health fraternity—the number of professionals who have specialised training in addiction management is extremely limited.”
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She warned that the lack of specialised expertise comes at a time when drug abuse is becoming an increasingly significant public health challenge, placing enormous pressure on Ghana’s healthcare system.
“I think we are in a huge crisis,” she said.
The psychiatrist also identified the country’s inadequate rehabilitation infrastructure as another critical weakness in the fight against addiction.
While early identification and diagnosis are essential, he said the absence of sufficient treatment facilities often leaves healthcare professionals with few options for patients requiring specialised care.
“There are very few treatment centres, and that is another level of worry. Even when you identify somebody who is going through this challenge, where to send the patient to receive treatment and recover becomes the problem.”
She noted that addiction recovery requires structured and sustained treatment delivered by multidisciplinary teams with specialised expertise.
Without adequate treatment centres, many people battling substance dependence are unable to access the care they need, increasing the likelihood of relapse and worsening health outcomes.
Her comments reinforce concerns raised in Deadly Doses 2, which documents the growing availability and misuse of dangerous substances, as well as the circulation of counterfeit medicines that continue to endanger public health.
The documentary paints a troubling picture of a country grappling with multiple challenges in addressing drug abuse—from illegal drug distribution and counterfeit pharmaceuticals to limited treatment options for those seeking recovery.
The Acting Head of KATH’s Psychiatry Unit said strengthening Ghana’s addiction treatment system will require significant investment in specialist training across the mental health workforce.
This includes increasing the number of psychiatrists with expertise in addiction medicine, while also expanding training opportunities for mental health nurses, clinical psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and other professionals involved in patient care.
She further stressed that expanding rehabilitation and treatment centres should become a national priority to ensure that people struggling with addiction can access timely and appropriate care.
