Question NW463 to the Minister of Health
18 March 2022 - NW463
Ismail, Ms H to ask the Minister of Health
What is the (a) total number of persons who have committed suicide in (i) 2018, (ii) 2019, (iii) 2020 and (iv) 2021, (b) total number of beds that are available nationally to cater for mentally ill patients and (c) breakdown of (i) suicide and (ii) available beds in each province?
Reply:
a) The Department of Health does not handle nor collect data of persons who have committed suicide. They are handled by the South African Police Service.
b) There are 19 976 beds available nationally to cater for mentally ill patients. This consists of 14 246 beds in public sector and 5 730 in the private sector.
c) (i) The Department of Health does not collect data on persons who have committed suicide.
(ii) Beds available for mentally ill patients in the public and private sector in each province are distributed as follows:
Province |
Public Sector |
Private Sector |
|
Eastern Cape |
1 864 |
1 088 |
2 952 |
Free State |
920 |
298 |
1218 |
Gauteng |
2 547 |
2 787 |
5 334 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
3 200 |
385 |
3 585 |
Limpopo |
1 492 |
38 |
1 530 |
Mpumalanga |
258 |
0 |
258 |
Northern Cape |
344 |
74 |
418 |
North West |
1 256 |
186 |
1 442 |
Western Cape |
2 365 |
874 |
3 239 |
Total |
14 246 |
5 730 |
19 976 |
END