South Africa or the Rainbow country as it is fondly called came to global prominence during the apartheid regime. The horror of white minority oppression and the incarceration of the then world’s most famous prisoner, Madiba Nelson Mandela put the country on the global spotlight with a myriad of sanctions slammed on her.

Nigeria played a leading role in the dismantling of the sinister legally backed segregation of the majority blacks as Africa was the centre piece of the nation’s foreign policy.

1994 proved a decisive year with black majority rule and the rise to power of Mandela. Many Nigerians suffering from the brunt of corrupt successive administrations as well as many Africans sought economic exile there. It was therefore a gargantuan tragedy for the country to be known for xenophobic attacks specifically targeted especially at Nigerians. The high rate of unemployment, squalid living conditions and the betrayal of the ideals of the struggles by the new black political elite took a huge toll on the mental health of the majority of the impoverished blacks.

An alarm was raised by the South African health minister, Joe Phaahla that about 6.5 million South Africans need urgent care for mental health disorders.

The minister revealed that there were only 19,000 available bed spaces in both the public and private psychiatric hospitals in the country. He said this in a written response to parliamentarian Michele Clarke who enquired from him as to the number of bed spaces available for psychiatric patients in the country.

As reported by media publication IOL, he said: He said a total of 1 292 991 of those, aged 15 years and older, needed care for severe psychiatric conditions. However, Phaahla said there were only 19 752 beds for psychiatric patients in the entire country.

“There are 14 060 beds in the public sector and 5 692 in the private sector,” he said.

His replies painted a picture of massive shortages of psychiatric specialists in the public health services.

The public sector in the nine provinces has filled 451 positions of psychologists. A total of 187 posts remained unfilled, making the vacancy rate 29.31%.

Phaahla’s reply showed only three provinces have employed “quite a number of professionals”.

The Western Cape is leading in hiring most psychologists at 99, followed by North West with 41 and KwaZulu-Natal 35. The rest of the provinces collectively hired just 17 psychologists.

Limpopo has six psychologists, the Free State four, Mpumalanga three and both the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape, two.

The total 187 vacancies are collectively shared between eight provinces with the exception of the Western Cape, which accounts for a single vacant post.

The Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga have the highest vacancy rate at 83.33%, 82.86% and 80% respectively.

The Northern Cape’s vacancy rate stands at 66.67%, the Free State 50%, KwaZulu-Natal 28.57%, North West 12.77% and the Western Cape 1%.

The statistics show the Eastern Cape has a shocking ratio of one psychiatric specialists to 3 338 295 population, followed by Mpumalanga at one psychiatrist to a population of 1 581 194.

The Western Cape has the lowest current ratio of psychiatric specialist to population at one to 71 856.

Gauteng does not feature in statistics as its figures are not provided.

Clarke noted “with concern” that the country has a massive shortage of psychologists and psychiatrists in the public health sector.

“While the Western Cape has only one vacancy for a psychologist and a psychiatrist/population ratio of 1:71 856, other provinces are really struggling,” she said.

Clarke said South Africans deserved better care from the Department of Health.

“The DA will submit follow-up parliamentary questions regarding the incredible vacancy rate. We will also request the department’s urgent appearance before the parliamentary portfolio committee on health regarding their plans for intervention,” she said.

This is a great crisis in the continent’s supposed most prosperous economy as it masks the ‘prosperity’ it showcases to the rest of the world. The government has to urgently address this gargantuan health crisis as adequate mental healthcare is of critical importance to the economy as workers need optimal mental health care to put in their best in the workplace.

The tension between the natives and African settlers can also be resolved with better mental health care facilities. This challenge is a huge dent on the Rainbow country and it is high time that the stakeholders in the mental health sector fixed it.

SOURCE: https://africavoiceshq.com/2022/07/08/disaster-insufficient-medical-care-for-6-5-million-south-african-mental-health-patients-by-tony-ademiluyi/

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