EAPs Needed to Improve Productivity

The five-day training programme on Addiction, Recovery and Counseling ended last Friday at the National Museum in Accra with a call on management in public and private organisations to recognise the need to set up vibrant Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) to deal with, among other things, alcohol and drug abuse. This was the consensus formed by participants at the training course when the discussion was opened on a role play on how EAP managers could best handle persons with alcohol and drug problems.

EAPs consist of policies and procedures aimed at assisting employees with their personal problems and enhancing their performance at work. Participants in the training were drawn from Customs, Excise and Preventive Services (CEPS), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Ghana Health Services, churches, councellors and other interested organisations. Participants confirmed that alcohol and drug problems have overwhelmed many organisations and have become the major cause of lowered productivity levels .

In his address Dr. Akwasi Osei, Acting Head of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, reaffirmed his view that addiction to drugs or alcohol should be seen as a clinical disease which calls for treatment and management rather than condemnation due to moral failure or criminal offense. He added that research has proven that there are genes in some people which make them prone to become addicts. Dr. Osei informed the participants that 10% of the world’s population falls within this category. It means that when such people first take their drug of choice they are likely to continue until they become addicted. He therefore debunked the idea of stigmatization of addicts by families, communities and especially by employers. Dr. Osei advised that EAPs be established at workplaces to assist staff with problems related to drug and alcohol use. EAPs would affsord employees the opportunity to seek intervention, treatment and management of their disease. The result would be improved productivity and performance at work.

Submitted by
Chris Darkinson