The summit provided the department with an essential platform to engage stakeholders in mental health, evaluate the progress made towards transforming this area of work and identify the key challenges to be prioritised in reorganising and transforming the healthcare system.
Western Cape Minister of Health, Theuns Botha, said, "Mental health is more a reflection of the health of our families, communities and society as a whole in all aspects of life. So the vicious cycle between poverty and mental ill health has to be firmly acknowledged."
"The provincial mental health summit should consider the huge impact that the substance abuse epidemic in the Western Cape has had on mental healthcare services."
The objectives of the summit were to:
Provincial mental health summits will be held in all provinces to capture the individual provincial views and findings in the run up to the National Summit. The National Mental Health Summit will be held from 29 - 30 March 2012 in the Gauteng Province.
According to Healthcare 2020, it is envisaged that the services offered at specialised hospitals need to be seen in the context of a strengthened health system, with the optimal use of the mainstream service and care pathways.
In terms of provincial budget allocated to mental health, an additional R60 million was allocated for the 2012/2013 book year. It was R 570 million for 2011/2012 and will now be R630 million.
The budget provides for a total of 1 698 beds in the following hospitals:
Minister Botha added: "Our beds occupancy rate is 85%, which is a disturbing insight into the mental state of the province."
Ethne Julius
Principal Communications Officer
Tel: 021 918 1292
Cell: 083 237 1303
E-mail: ejulius@pgwc.gov.za