Cape Town - The Department of Health and Wellness provided a brief glimpse into some of its projects as part of its strategy to address the mental health struggle facing the province.
The department briefed the standing committee on health on Friday, with a presentation by Specialised Hospitals director Carol Dean.
Many of the statistics provided had already been given in its previous briefing to the standing committee in September 2022.
In its annual performance plan 2022-2023, the department said the number of mental health patients presenting at emergency centres has increased over the period from July 2020 to January 2022.
Since April 2020, there has been a worrying upward trajectory of suicides in the province, Dean said. A huge unmet need identified was that less than one in four people with mental illness seek care/ treatment.
Substance related psychiatric admissions are increasing at district, regional, specialised and tertiary facilities.
In February 2022, the department initiated an interdepartmental steering committee on mental health, chaired by the head of department (HOD) and attended or represented by HODs in departments of Social Development; Education; Sport, Arts and Culture; local government and Department of the Premier.
In terms of funding from the provincial treasury, this had increased from R30 million in the previous financial year to R72 million this financial year.
The funding will cover the costs related to several projects. Project one will enable the strengthening of mental health capacity at a primary healthcare level with R43.8 million allocated for this. Dean said this will see over 60 additional posts for registered counsellors, occupational therapists, social workers, and mental health nurses throughout the province.
Project two will address the skewed funding of non-profit organisations (NPOs), particularly those affecting rural areas, by allocating R5 million for equitable funding of NPOs.
Project three will see funding of R13.8 million for the provision of additional mental health beds for children and adolescents as well as additional beds at George Hospital.
An additional project will include the strengthening of child and adolescent training programme and package of care and 10 psychogeriatric beds with R7.8 million funding.
In terms of bed occupancy challenges and pressures, Specialised Hospitals deputy director, Marinda Roelofse said often times service users return to the same environment that enabled the abuse of substances which had led to the psychosis and admission, resulting in a complex cycle.
“We did a small study in the Lentegeur, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain and Helderberg area and it showed that only 11% of the people that have been discharged are really doing okay.
“The reason for their not doing okay is that when the community healthcare workers come to their homes, they often refuse them access or the person is no longer staying there, they’re back on the streets, so they then skip treatment or they have sometimes moved to another provinces.”