South African Psychiatry - February 2018 Edition

REPORT
SASOP PARTICIPATES
IN THE PUBLIC DEBATE
ON HEALTHCARE
WORKER ADVOCACY
Mvuyiso Talatala, Lesley Robertson
The South African Society of Psychiatrists
(SASOP) represented by Dr Mvuyiso Talatala,
Past President of SASOP, and Dr Lesley
Robertson, Pubsec Convener, participated
in a public debate hosted by Rural Health
Advocacy Project (RHAP), Section 27 and Wits
School of Public Health on the 22 November 2017.
The public debate was titled, “Raising alarm and
being heard. What is the change we need to
promote and support Healthcare Worker (HCW)
Advocacy?”
THE DEBATE WAS HELD AT THE WITS
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND
PROVED TO BE A VERY INTERACTIVE
FORUM WITH A PRIMARY FOCUS ON
HCW ADVOCACY FOLLOWING THE LIFE
ESIDIMENI TRAGEDY WHERE OVER 141
MENTALLY ILL PATIENTS DIED IN GAUTENG
PROVINCE AFTER THE CLOSURE OF LIFE
ESIDIMENI FACILITIES. THE DEBATE TOOK
NOTE THAT THERE ARE OTHER EVENTS
LIKE THE LIFE ESIDIMENI TRAGEDY THAT
ARE HAPPENING IN THE COUNTRY
AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS NEED TO
BE STRENGTHENED IN THEIR DUTY OF
ADVOCACY. DURING THE TERMINATION
OF THE LIFE ESIDIMENI CONTRACT AND
THE SUBSEQUENT CLOSURE OF THE
LIFE ESIDIMENI FACILITIES, HEALTHCARE
WORKERS (HCWS) WERE IGNORED IN
THEIR ATTEMPT TO WARN GOVERNMENT
OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF RAPIDLY
MOVING THE SEVERELY MENTALLY ILL
PATIENTS TO FACILITIES THAT WOULD
OFFER INFERIOR CARE.
Other members of the panel were Mr Anele
Yawa from the Treatment Action Campaign
(TAC); Ms Tendai Mafuma from Section 27, Ms
Shelly Wilsnach, an Occupational Students’
Representative and Prof Letitia Rispel from the
Wits School of Public Health. Ms Marije Versteeg-
Mojanaga, Director of RHAP, welcomed everyone
and opened the debate. She spoke of the need
for HCWs to overcome intimidation by senior
health care staff, management and political
structures to advocate for their patients and
contribute to an improved health care system.
She explained how The Voice Project, established
by RHAP in partnership with Section 27, Médecins
Sans Frontières and various South African clinical
Mvuyiso Talatala
30 * SOUTH AFRICAN PSYCHIATRY ISSUE 14 2018