Clinic fosters mental health awareness
The Simunye Clinic offers HIV counselling and testing, ante- and post-natal care and family planning.
Tsakani – The Simunye Clinic hosted a mental health open-day awareness campaign on July 26 and invited various stakeholders and individuals to educate the public on mental health and other health-related matters.
The clinic’s acting manager, Nyameka Mokone, said the clinic offers healthcare services such as integrated management of childhood illnesses, an expanded immunisation programme and curative care for minor ailments.
“The clinic further offers HIV counselling and testing, ante- and post-natal care, family planning, integration chronic diseases management, TB management, mental health, oral health services, nutrition, and social and optometrist services.
“The aim is to bring healthcare closer and prevent people from wasting money and travelling long distances to access healthcare,” said Mokone.
The objective of the awareness campaign was to educate the public about mental health and reduce the stigma and discrimination people with mental illness often encounter.
Mokone said many people suffer from mental or neurological disorders or psychosocial problems. She said the major psychosocial issues included family problems, anxiety, substance and sexual abuse and violence.
“Our communities are not well informed about mental health and the causes of some mental issues. Educating our community and patients about the condition is vital for us.
“Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood, adolescence to adulthood,” she said.
She explained that a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation, or behaviour characterises a mental disorder.
She said it is usually associated with distress or impairment in crucial areas of functioning, and there are many types of mental disorders.
“There is a broad umbrella of mental health disorders like physical disorders, but mental and brain disorders vary in severity.
“There are those that are transient like an acute stress disorder, periodic like a bipolar disorder – characterised by periods of exaggerated elation followed by periods of depression – and long-lasting and progressive like Alzheimer’s disease.
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“Other conditions include schizophrenia, dementia, depressive disorder, obsessive disorder and panic disorder,” cited Mokone.
The Tsakane Crisis Centre operation manager, Martha Nkutha, taught the public about GBV and cases related to GBV.
“Statutory rape is the crime of sex with a minor when the sex is agreed to by both parties, not forced. The reason it is considered rape is because the minor is considered too young to consent legally to sex or sexual contact. Parents often help their children open a case of statutory rape, and it is legal,” Mokone said.
She urged the youth to refrain from dating younger children and those who experience rape to report it not later than three days after it happened.
“If you are too afraid to go straight to the police station, the Crisis Centre assists individuals needing to report this sort of crime. We work closely with the police, and we assist in conducting a rape kit,” she added.
The Simunye Men’s Club also gathered at the clinic to support its motive to educate on health issues.
The club’s chairperson, Sydney Mbatha, said many men are afraid to visit clinics for health checks.
“We attended this event so we could try and break the stigma around men not visiting clinics. Before we are men, we are humans, and it is important for men to visit clinics regularly to prevent health complications,” he said.
