Delivering a keynote address in the provincial health summit this morning, Gauteng Health and Social Development MEC Ntombi Mekgwe emphasised that people with mental illness have a right to treated with dignity and privacy.
Under the theme, "no health without mental health", the summit looked at ways of ensuring commitment and involvement of all stakeholders in advocating and protecting the rights of mental health services users and also to strengthen relationships between services providers and service users.
Addressing professionals in the mental health sector, MEC Mekgwe said, "Mental health care services have been under resourced, neglected and giving low priority. I take this opportunity to assure all of you that this will come to an end."
She added that the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness points to a need to focus on the area more closely.
The summit reflected on the progress the province is making to transform mental healthcare services and to come up with recommendations to deal with the challenges still faced in the mental health sector.
The three focus areas were:
- Increased research to understand the impact of mental health on our society.
- The coordination of best practices in the field and
- How best to increase education and awareness of mental health issues.
The MEC urged delegates to use the summit as a spring board for ensuring that mental health care services becomes part of mainstream health services.
She also appealed to health workers to double their efforts to reform and restructure mental health services as well as to improve the life of those mental health care users and their families who often suffer inside.
The province has seen an increase in the number of people with mental illnesses in recent years. This can be attributed to: rapid urbanisation, break-up of traditional social support networks, violence, substance abuse, unplanned or unwanted pregnancies, child abuse and sexual transmitted illnesses such as HIV and Aids.
In Gauteng, 7.8% of the population use mental health services which is provided by specialists in children, adolescents and the elderly. There are 107 district specialised psychiatric clinics with 46 000 users per annum.
The province also has 174 dedicated psychiatric beds in regional hospitals, 283 in tertiary hospitals, 1 516 in psychiatric hospitals, 2 250 at Life Esidimeni and 3 700 in non-governmental organisation (NGO’s).
MEC Mekgwe also appealed to academic institutions and other professional bodies to share their expertise with the public sector.
Mental illness is a behavioural, mental, or emotional disorder that interferes with the person’s lifestyle, however with early diagnosis, care treatment and rehabilitation most people can recover from the illness.
Enquiries:
Simon Zwane
Cell 082 551 9892
