The Volta River Authority (VRA) has announced plans to deploy psychologists to counsel the people affected by the Akosombo dam spillage.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of VRA, Engineer Edward Obeng Kenzo, made this known in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Friday.
“The psychological effects of them living in classrooms and other places will have a toll on them, so we want them to have a bit of dignity and confidence back. We are bringing in psychologists to talk to them and let them know this will pass soon. There are also doctors giving essential care,” he said.
Mr. Kenzo said the move was necessitated by the need to build a sustainable mental health system to promote the health and well-being of the victims.
“We want to make sure everyone is comfortable. We cannot give them the level of comfort they enjoyed in their homes, but we will do everything possible to get their lives back to normalcy,” he added.
Giving an update on the number of people affected, Ingr Kenzo disclosed that about 30,000 have been counted so far.
“About 14,000 people have been catered for at the safe havens,” he announced.
He further assured VRA, together with relevant stakeholders are actively working around the clock to salvage the situation.
Thousands of residents in six districts in the Volta, Eastern and Greater Accra regions have been displaced and rendered homeless by the spillage of excess water from the Akosombo and Kpong dams.
This was due to heavy rainfall in the Northern and Volta catchments, resulting in the rapid rise of water levels.
But the Deputy CEO of VRA admitting the devastation, said the exercise was not deliberate to cause distress.
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