Pretoria - The Department of Social Development says it has initiated a national audit of in-and out-patient substance dependency treatment centres.
The department on Wednesday said the audit will assess and monitor compliance with the prescribed requirements and applicable minimum norms and standards for treatment centres and halfway houses.
“Numerous research studies have indicated that the prevalence of substance abuse in South Africa has reached significant proportions within the youth and adult population,” said the department.
The department said the final audit report is expected at the end of March 2016.
According to the Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health (2011), the hazardous and harmful use of alcohol is a major global contributing factor to death, disease and injury.
“In order to address the challenge, anti-substance abuse interventions are rendered in line with the three pillars of supply reduction, demand reduction and harm reduction.
“Government’s Anti-substance Abuse Campaign is central to demand reduction, while treatment in both in- and out-patient facilities forms part of harm reduction,” said the department.
South Africa has a number of treatment facilities owned by government, the non-governmental sector as well as the private sector.
The department said the Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act (Act No. 70 of 2008) stipulates that no person may establish or manage any treatment centre unless such treatment centre is registered as per the prescripts of the act.
The department said treatment centres are registered once government is satisfied that they are or will be managed and conducted in such a way that the reception, maintenance, treatment, rehabilitation and skills development of service users complies with the prescribed requirements.
“While government is aware of the registered treatment facilities, further information is required in respect of the services provided as well as the physical condition of the facilities.
“Government is also aware that there are a number of unregistered facilities in operation for which limited information is available. The Standard Statement outlined in the Minimum Norms and Standards for Treatment Centres directs that the rights and legal status of the patients/clients [must be] upheld by the treatment centre within an ethos of patient/client dignity, appropriate treatment provision and respect for human rights.
“The department requests assistance from the media, treatment centre owners, municipalities and communities in identifying unregistered centres. Treatment centre practitioners are urged to co-operate with the enumerators who will be conducting the field work,” said the department.
It said the audit will be undertaken to provide government with accurate information about both registered and unregistered substance dependency treatment facilities, as well as make recommendations to the facilities on meeting the required norms and standards.
The department said the audit will ascertain the accessibility of treatment centres in order to guide planning for the establishment of centres around the country.
There are currently eight public in-patient treatment centres in the country. Three are located in the Western Cape, two in KwaZulu-Natal, one in Mpumalanga, one in Gauteng, and one in Limpopo. - SAnews.gov.za
