Psychiatry Department

Care for dark moods and unquiet minds

heading

image desc

PSYCHIATRY DEPARTMENT

Mental health care sadly remains stigmatized well into the 21st Century. The healing of the mind is still a mystery. It requires no instruments or operations – simply a careful diagnosis, medication and a place to heal. Victoria Hospital offers 15 beds and a close team of doctors and nurses to patients who are required by the Mental Health Act to be referred to treatment for their own protection. Victoria Hospital cares for patients with post-partum depression, bipolar mood disorder, schizophrenia and a host of mental illnesses triggered by drug use.

The causes of many of these disorders are unknown, others are genetic and so could affect anyone, no matter what their background or lifestyle.

Dr Marie Venn
Head of Department, Psychiatry 

Dr. Venn started her relationship with Victoria Hospital as a baby in the paediatrics ward, so it was ironic that, years later in 2009, she would start her career internship and community service at Victoria. Dr. Venn felt called to psychiatry, feeling a natural compassion towards those suffering with mental illness after it had touched her life closely.

Click to meet Dr. Visser and nurses on the team.

Dr. Naomi Visser
Retired Head of Department, Psychiatry

We look back and honour the work of Dr. Visser who retired from her post as Head of Psychiatry in February 2016. She faithfully served the hospital for 35 years and  spent the last eight years heading up the Psychiatry Department after years in the Emergency Centre. The brilliant teamwork and highly-equipped psychiatric nurses in the department made her very challenging job a true pleasure.

image descimage descimage desc

Psychiatry Department

Accurate diagnosis is the first step in good care

heading

Excellent Diagnosis

Doctors and psychiatric nurses carefully work together to give a careful and accurate diagnosis.

Referrals

Victoria Hospital is responsible for referring patients on to other larger Psychiatric Departments in Cape Town.

Team Work

Close teamwork between both nurses and doctors brings encouragement and hope to a challenging job.

"We all have someone close to us who suffers from mental illness.
But it remains very stigmatized."

- Dr. Marie Venn -