Mental health awareness

Last Thursday, the Voortrekker Hospital hosted a mental health campaign to create awareness and help fight the stigma attached to mental health patients. “People look at mental health patients as if they are carrying a disease that can be passed on by them looking at- or even touching you,” said Masaba Tjikana a nurse at the hospital.
The message carried out by the staff was that mental health patients need to be accepted within communities, respected, given a support structure and kept involved by gi-ving them challenging tasks.
Doctor Manfred Shikwambana, who was the driving force behind the campaign said mentally challenged patients should be trea-ted equally and people need to stop respon-ding to them as though they are not part of society and need to banished from it.