Durban — Specialist psychiatrist Dr Theshenthree Govender has said that there are limited resources and a lack of healthcare for people with mental health issues.
Govender was speaking during a talk on the subject at the KwaZulu-Natal Children's Hospital in Durban on Thursday. She said mental health affects millions of people across the globe. In South Africa, the condition was overshadowed by violence and poverty.
She outlined the plight health professionals go through in dealing with the condition and said that the road to recovery was lengthy because patients encountered long waits for a bed to become available in one of the hospitals.
“This is a challenge that we face. Every psychiatrist is desperate to help our children. The situation is a thousand times worse in the public sector and even those children who have access to private healthcare eventually run out of funds. Mental health issues are not easily resolved with the limited amount of time that we are funded for in private practice,“ she said.
The aim of the KZN Children’s Hospital is to serve as a centre of excellence for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders and mental health conditions. The hospital has been operational since 2013. Staff have managed over 45000 consultations with children and adolescents said KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane.
Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli emphasised the pressing need to prioritise mental health care for children. Ntuli highlighted the alarming prevalence of mental illness among the province's youth, describing it as both a community concern and a global priority.
“It is depressing to learn that many children and adults in our province are struggling with mental health challenges, yet the resources needed to support them are scarce,” Ntuli said.
Ntuli said that the stigma surrounding mental illness remains a significant barrier to care. Ntuli stressed the need for society to unite in addressing these challenges and emphasised that the mental health of young people is not just a personal battle but a shared responsibility.
"The establishment of a new inpatient psychiatric unit at the KZN Children's Hospital is a step in the right direction," Ntuli said.
Ntuli called on both sectors to continue working together to ensure that every child and adolescent in KZN has access to the mental health care they need and deserve.
He urged all sectors of society to break the stigma attached to mental illness, foster supportive environments, and advocate for the resources needed to address mental health issues.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, hundreds of people walked from King Dinuzulu Park to Durban City Hall to present their memorandum on various issues faced by people living with mental conditions and their caregivers.
Durban and Coastal Mental Health (DCMH) manager Lungisani Mthiyane, who led the walk, said they partnered with several stakeholders and schools around Durban and oThongathi to highlight their concerns.
The chairperson of DCMH board Sthandiwe Mkhize said the main challenges they face in the NPO is the prevalence of people living with mental health conditions yet there are limited resources and understanding of it.
“The outdated legislatures that govern mental health, such as the indent policy that many from our community do not benefit from, lack of access to services, stigma and awareness initiatives, as well as a lack of integration of services,” he said.
Chatsworth resident Vinesh Ramdeen said he joined the walk to assist in raising awareness.
Deputy principal of Stanger Training Centre, Vee Govindsamy, his staff and students also joined the walk.
“One of the challenges that we see in society is that parents often neglect children living with mental health conditions forgetting that they need more attention to strive academically and in society,” Govindsamy said.
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