Teenage girls battling severe mental health issues now have a dedicated ward of their own after the Western Cape spent R10.7 million to open a specialised unit at Lentegeur Hospital.
The Lentegeur Child and Adolescent Female Unit is an eight-bed facility established to offer a specialised inpatient setting for girls between the ages of 13 and 18
Mireille Wenger, the Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, noted that the facility’s significance extends beyond its physical structure.
“This unit represents our recognition that mental health is an essential part of health, that the wellbeing of children deserves dedicated attention,” Wenger said.
She stressed that the unit is designed to provide a nurturing, secure space, ensuring girls have access to essential care during their most challenging periods.
Girls needing psychiatric treatment will be referred to the facility from hospitals across the province.
The requirement for a specialised wing was initially recognised in 2021, leading to the start of construction and refurbishments in 2024.
By March 2026, the facility began admitting patients.
Youth were previously housed in separate sections of a shared ward, but this new unit provides an age- and gender-sensitive environment better suited for therapeutic care.
Minister Wenger remarked: “It is incredibly rewarding to see young people already benefiting from the facility and to know that this investment will continue to support adolescents and their families from across the Western Cape for many years to come.”
Gratitude was expressed by the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness to the project teams, support staff, and healthcare professionals whose efforts led to the new wing’s completion and who remain dedicated to the daily care of young patients.
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Nokubonga Ndlovu
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