Psychiatry:

About the Mental Health Care Unit

Tintswalo has a 50 bed acute psychiatric ward which is the biggest psychiatric unit in Mpumalanga (there are 30 bed psychiatric units at Rob Ferreira hospital in Nelspruit and Witbank hospital which are both headed by psychiatrists). It is run by a small core group of excellent, very experienced and compassionate psychiatric sisters and a family physician with a Diploma in Mental Health who also follows up patients in the community at rural primary health care clinics. A full time clinical psychologist, a medical social worker and an occupational therapy assistant also make up the mental health care team. The local languages are xiTsonga (Shangaan) and sePedi (Northern Sotho) but the nurses are always helpful with translating.

Training

It is possible for doctors to do their Diploma in Mental Health after spending 6 months in Psychiatry. We have a very good relationship with the psychiatrists in Limpopo province who observe our forensic patients and assist us with telephonic advice. It is also possible to spend a week with a psychiatrist in Limpopo for additional inservice training. Interns from Mapulaneng hospital in Bushbuckridge rotate through our Psychiatric ward for their Mental Health rotation.

Available posts

There is a post for a Chief Medical Officer in Psychiatry available as well as for an Occupational Therapist. In addition, the hospital has posts for community service doctors, occupational therapists, nurses and psychologists who could rotate through this department.