Published by Grocott’s Mail
By STAFF REPORTER
To commemorate World Mental Health Day and Mental Health Month, Eastern Cape Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth will unveil a R29-million, newly-upgraded child and adolescent facility at Fort England Hospital in Makhanda on Thursday, 13 October.
The 14-bed ward will provide rehabilitative services for mentally challenged children between 13-17 years.
It will also render inpatient services for acute patients and admit non-acute patients for diagnostic purposes.
The facility also has the potential to be a training institution for child psychiatrists which will benefit the province in producing more child psychiatrists.
World Mental Health Day is being commemorated this year under the theme: “Make mental health and well-being for all a global priority.”
Two toolkits of resources for primary and secondary settings full of World Mental Health Day activities for whole classes, small groups or individual learners have been made available by the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families.
About 14% of the global disease burden has been attributed to mental disorders and mental challenges.
In South Africa, 16.5% of the population suffers from mental disorders in a given year, ranking third-highest in contributing to the national disease burden. Around 75% of those with mental health disorders have not received treatment.
