Cape Town - The Department of Social Development (DSD) is clamping down on illegal rehabilitation centres, by seeking orders for the closure of unregistered facilities through the Western Cape High Court.
The concern over the number of unregistered facilities was raised during a briefing by the DSD to the Standing Committee on Health.
The objective of the briefing was to inform the committee on the programmes in place to address the social determinants that apply pressure to the health system, specifically at the Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain district hospitals.
These included: lack of finance in the communities; stigma; lack of transport; long queues; substance abuse that lead to mental health challenges; cultural considerations for mental health issues; lack of information sharing on available services; social demands and social economic pressures.
In a statement released, the department said it continues to receive complaints about illegal rehabilitation centres exploiting clients and in some cases, violating their human rights.
“In order to become registered, rehabilitation centres must have health, safety and zoning clearances from the relevant local municipality and a qualified multidisciplinary team of professionals made up of social workers, nurses, psychologists and related professions.
“They must follow a bio-psychosocial approach which means the health, mental, and social dimensions of the client are addressed in the treatment plans,” the statement read.
The department currently subsidises 28 community-based centres, and six of the 27 registered inpatient rehabilitation centres.
The department also operates two in-patient treatment centres for adults, two for youth, and an additional five centres for children in alternative care.
“A number of communities want these facilities in their areas, clearly It is not sustainable to have in each and every community a substance abuse facility and the emphasis is on community based services. We are rolling them out to the extent of our budgets in a number of communities.
“Obviously for historical reasons, they are concentrated in the metropolitan area but they are accessible,” DSD director: social crime prevention and support, Chief Directorate of Restorative Services, Mzukisi Gaba, said.