Epilepsy is recording high figures in the Nkoranza South Municipality of the newly-created Bono East Region, Mr. George Kwame Osei, the Municipal Mental Health Focal Person has said.

He said within six months, about 99 new cases of epileptic disease had been recorded among people between six and 35 years in the Municipality.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Nkoranza, Mr. Osei said because people in the area linked epilepsy to witchcraft and ancestral curse, families hid and abused their epileptic patients in the homes.

If detected early, he said, epilepsy could be treated, provided patients, strictly adhered to the course of drugs, and appealed to parents and relatives not to hide patients in homes but assist them to seek medical care.

Mr. Osei explained epilepsy was a mental disorder, saying, alcoholism remained a major cause and advised pregnant women and adolescent boys and girls against excessive drinking.

He said mental health cases in general were soaring in the Municipality, noting that the area had recorded 1,088 total cases of mental health disorders within six months.

Mr. Osei expressed regret about the lack of mental health drugs, which was affecting the speedy recovery process of patients, and appealed to the Ghana Health Service to act proactively to prevent the intermittent shortages.

Source: GNA