Our social workers receive numerous requests via social media, telephone and email requesting ‘assisted admission’ to hospital for people experiencing psychosis. This is usually in cases where the person’s mental health status impairs their ability to make informed decisions. The Mental Health Care Act (MHCA)17 of 2004 clearly stipulates the steps involved in this process and the different role-players. However, the lack of resources in state facilities often hampers this process.

The Ilizwi social workers embarked on an exercise to approach hospitals and specifically Dora Nginza’s Psychiatric Unit (Mbulawa) in Gqeberha to engage on the admission process. The Nursing Sister explained the process and made us understand that they do attend to persons with Mental Illness and that often it’s the family members who do not have the patience to wait for their member to be attended. Also that SAPS only facilitates the process of ensuring the member is attended to by the health official and from there the family member has to wait for the hospital procedure to be done effectively to ensure the member is attended to.

The team developed an infographic to assist family members should one of their members have a psychotic episode. This we circulated on social media and is now in the process of being available at clinic reception areas. SAPS was also informed in an information sharing session on what the MHCA stipulates as their role when it comes to admission of persons with a mental illness. The infographic has assisted many family members. Mostly, they are not admitted due to lack of available beds but they are attended to in the overflow and later discharged. The key is to remember, it’s not your loved one that is acting out, it’s the illness.