House Chair, let me thank the hon members for debating this Bill. Indeed, as I've indicated, it seems like it is just an administrative amendment. Yet, I would like us to focus on the fact that we will be 20 years into democracy next year, but it is a decade since this Act was promulgated.
Indeed, in April last year, as the Ministry of Health, we convened a summit with over 4 000 experts and stakeholders to review the implementation of this Bill. We can assure you that the collective in that summit recognised the progress that has been made in reducing the stigma and improving access. There are hospitals, like the Weskoppies Hospital, that before the onset of the democratic era were dilapidated and not fit for human use. I would like to invite members, perhaps the portfolio committee, to visit some of these facilities. However, we recognise and acknowledge that there are other facilities that we still need to improve and, indeed, we are on course as part of the Hospital Infrastructure Revitalisation Programme.
I would also like to make members of this House aware that mental health is a very serious problem. When we were medical students, the risk group for mental illness was, in particular, white male executive Afrikaners. I guess that was due to the stresses of those days in terms of having to defend the apartheid system. But today we have a lot of young people, especially men, committing suicide. So, we need to take seriously the issues of mental health, and communicate with our children at home, realise and identify the early signs of depression, and be able to access the services that we are talking about.
This Mental Health Care Act reinforces the fact that mental health is like any other illness and the services must be available. I thank you very much for supporting the Bill. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Debate concluded. Bill read a second time.