Health and Wellness
(1) Whether the Province has enough resources to make the treatment process accessible to all those in need, including homeless people; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) what is her Department’s plan to fund more beds and staff in psychiatric hospitals over the current MTEF?
- The member is requested to clarify what treatment specifically, she is referring to. However, it must be stated for the record that no vulnerable group of South African citizens is excluded from receiving healthcare services in the Western Cape based on social circumstances.
- The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness has seen a significant increase in the demand for mental health services since the Covid-19 pandemic. This has placed strain on the limited number of beds and staff working in psychiatric wards and facilities.
Over the current Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, the Department is implementing a phased expansion of psychiatric capacity. This includes:
- the investment in infrastructure projects that increase bed numbers at district and regional hospitals,
- Partnership initiatives through donor funding. For example, donor funding from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation is upgrading the adolescent psychiatry unit at Tygerberg Hospital.
- Three new Acute Psychiatric Units at Khayelitsha, Eerste River and New Somerset Hospitals which will add 90 additional beds to our system.
Additional, transitional care beds at Sonstraal and Malmesbury facilities are also being developed to provide step-down care. This approach reduces the burden on acute units and improves access for vulnerable groups. These expansions ensure that persons experiencing homelessness or other vulnerable groups, who often face complex health and social challenges, can access appropriate treatment and continuity of care.
Alongside infrastructure, the Department is prioritising human resources. Plans include scaling up the training pipeline for psychiatric nurses and registrars in collaboration with higher education institutions. Innovative approaches, such as roving specialist teams, task-sharing, and agency support, are being used to bridge immediate shortages while permanent capacity is built.
Despite fiscal pressures, the Department continues to reprioritise funds, pursue partnerships, and invest in workforce development to strengthen psychiatric hospitals and units. These actions are anchored in the Department’s Strategic Plan 2025–2030, which commits to improving access to quality mental health services, with particular focus on vulnerable groups such as the homeless.
