Pressure on psychiatric services felt in George

Voigt says there is also insufficient accommodation for psychiatric cases, and that they cannot be accommodated in a general care centre.

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Loneliness and isolation can lead to psychiatric conditions. Photo for illustrative purposes.

(Pexels)

A sad example of someone urgently needing help was recently highlighted by a concerned resident, Marga Coetsee, on Facebook. She posted about an elderly man whom she has seen on several occasions wandering aimlessly through the streets, barely able to walk.

She painted a heartbreaking picture: "This morning he is shuffling around a piece of cardboard in the rain."

After she contacted the police, he was admitted to hospital for evaluation, but the next day she saw him back on the street.