Question NW2252 to the Minister of Health
24 June 2022 - NW2252
Clarke, Ms M to ask the Minister of Health
(1)What total number of psychiatric (a) patients are currently in need of care and (b) beds are currently available in the (i) public and (ii) private sector; (2) what (a) total number of psychiatric specialists are in the public sector and (b) is the vacancy rate for such specialists; (3) what is the (a) total number of psychiatric specialists, (b) breakdown of the specified number of psychiatric specialists in each province, (c) vacancy rate in each province and (d) current ratio of psychiatric specialists to the population?
Reply:
According to the Provincial Departments of Health, the following details provide the responses to the above questions:
1. (a) Based on the prevalence of mental disorders in South Africa, it is estimated that 6 566 703 persons need care for common mental disorders and 1 292 991 of those aged 15 years and older need care for severe psychiatric conditions.
(b) (i) There are 14060 beds in the public sector and (ii) 5692 in the private sector.
(2)-(3) The table below indicate the breakdown of psychiatric specialist in each province (Public Sector) with the vacancy rate:
|
PSYCHOLOGIST PUBLIC SECTOR |
||||
|
Province |
Filled |
Vacant |
Total |
Vacancy Rate |
|
Eastern Cape |
2 |
10 |
12 |
83.33 |
|
Free State |
4 |
4 |
8 |
50.00 |
|
Kwazulu-Natal |
35 |
14 |
49 |
28.57 |
|
Limpopo |
6 |
29 |
35 |
82.86 |
|
Mpumalanga |
3 |
12 |
15 |
80.00 |
|
Northern Cape |
2 |
4 |
6 |
66.67 |
|
North-West |
41 |
6 |
47 |
12.77 |
|
Western cape |
99 |
1 |
100 |
1.00 |
|
Grand Total |
451 |
187 |
638 |
29.31 |
The current ration of psychiatric specialist to the population breakdown per provinces reflected below:
|
POPULATION PER PROVINCE (PUBLIC SECTOR RATIO) |
|||
|
Province |
Population |
Total Psychologists |
Ratio to population |
|
Eastern Cape |
6,676,590 |
2 |
1: 3338295 |
|
Free State |
2,932,441 |
4 |
1: 733110 |
|
Kwazulu-Natal |
11,513,575 |
35 |
1: 328959 |
|
Limpopo |
5,926,724 |
11 |
1: 538793 |
|
Mpumalanga |
4,743,584 |
3 |
1: 1581194 |
|
Northern Cape |
1,303,047 |
2 |
1: 651523 |
|
North-West |
4,122,854 |
41 |
1: 100557 |
|
Western cape |
7,113,776 |
99 |
1: 71856 |
|
Grand Total |
60,142,979 |
|
|
|
STATSSA: |
https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0302/P03022021.pdf |
END.