The Western Cape has spent millions designing and building a specialised inpatient ward for teenage girls battling severe mental health issues, reports IOL.
Lentegeur Hospital’s Child and Adolescent Female Unit, an eight-bed facility designed to accommodate girls aged from 13 to 18, cost the Health Department R10.7m and would, said Mireille Wenger, provincial Minister of Health & Wellness, create a nurturing, secure space, ensuring girls had access to dedicated care during their most challenging periods.
“This unit represents our recognition that mental health is an essential part of health, that the well-being of children deserves particular attention,” she said.
Girls needing psychiatric treatment will be referred to the Mitchell’s Plain facility from hospitals across the province.
The requirement for a specialised wing was initially recognised in 2021, leading to the start of construction and refurbishments in 2024.
The facility began admitting patients in March this year. Youth were previously housed in separate sections of a shared ward, but the new unit provides an age- and gender-sensitive environment better suited for therapeutic care.
IOL News article – Western Cape opens specialised mental health unit for teenage girls (Open access)
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