No availability of SASLI blocks hospital admission for Deaf teen in mental health crisis.
Despite the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health’s assertion that 819 staff members have been trained in South African Sign Language (SASL), more than two months have passed and psychologists are still searching for an interpreter to secure the admission of a 16-year-old deaf boy suffering from severe depression and ongoing suicidal thoughts—raising serious questions about where these trained professionals are and why they remain inaccessible in a life-threatening case.
Deaf Teen’s Mental Health Crisis Delayed by Lack of Sign Language Interpreters
Since 27 October, psychologists at Northdale Hospital and Townhill Hospital where ailing the child is supposed to have been admitted, have been phoning around for SASLIs as they do not have. Northdale’s psychologist was clear they cannot utilise SASLIs that are not employed by government. During sessions his mother, and sister assist with interpreting.
The minor is currently treated at Townhill, sadly the hospital does not have a battery to install in his cochlear to help him detect sound upon admission. His mother, said Albert Luthuli Hospital has since declined to borrow Townhill a cochlear battery to help him, stating his implant was done at a private hospital.
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The boy was born deaf and, his mother, said since October he has been transported between different hospitals, while the risk to take his own life increases.
Mother Describes Fear of Leaving Son Hospitalised Without Communication
The mother stated that each day has turned into a battle against a system that fails to provide proper support for deaf children in crisis situations. Thus, she is pleading with the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, to make SASL “more accessible to families of deaf children in important government institutions such as hospitals and clinics.”
On October 27, she took her son to Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg after he started hearing voices urging him to end his life.
“The psychologist mentioned she couldn't assist him without a government-employed Sign Language interpreter. She said she wasn’t prepared to help him because of the confidentiality and ethics regarding the psychology involved, therefore the interpreter has to be employed by the Department of Health to assist,” the mother recounted.
The mother said:
Cochlear Battery Shortage Compounds Mental Health Risks
Realising that her son’s life was at risk, the mother took him to Townhill Hospital; sadly, Townhill has not admitted him either. The reason was that the hospital does not have a battery for his cochlear implant and there is also no SASL interpreter.
“He has tried to commit suicide twice. It's been very difficult to not get the help he needs. They can't admit him as he does not have a battery for his cochlear. The hospital is trying to get a battery for his cochlear. They believe if he has his cochlear in the ward, he will be able to hear what's going on around him in case danger arises. I am unemployed and my husband is the only provider. We cannot afford to purchase a battery for his cochlear which is R3,500. He has a hearing aid on his left ear. My son was born deaf,” said the mother.
She added that, “The doctor from Townhill Hospital phoned Albert Luthuli Hospital to request a cochlear battery. However, we were informed they do not provide batteries for patients who received their implants from private hospitals. We had his surgery done privately when we were on medical aid. Albert Luthuli Hospital has a cochlear programme, but only if you have the operation through government.”
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Consequently, the teenager at risk of suicide remains reliant on a battery that his parents cannot afford.
“We are trying to find an interpreter to help at Townhill Hospital Crisis Assessment Unit (CAU) unit,” she said.
DeafSA and Health Department Respond to Rights Violations
Foster Mohale, spokesperson for the Minister of Health, said, “The Department of Health recognises the right to access healthcare for everyone, including the Deaf community. However, there are no permanent officials whose job description is language interpreting because, in most cases, deaf patients are often accompanied by family members or friends who understand how to communicate with them. The Department works closely with organisations in the deaf community, including DeafSA, who provide sign language interpreting in public events.”
DeafSA’s National Director, Bruno Druchen, said, “DeafSA is deeply concerned about the child’s case. This is a serious violation of his constitutional rights, his right to communicate, and his right to receive equitable healthcare, especially during a mental-health crisis. We are particularly alarmed that Northdale Hospital refused to allow a SASL interpreter to assist, despite acknowledging that they do not have their own SASL interpreter available. When a deaf child is suicidal, denying him access to communication support is not only unethical but dangerous. It places his life at further risk and prevents clinicians from understanding his needs, symptoms, and emotional state.”
He added that:
"Access to a Sign Language interpreter in healthcare is a legal requirement under the Constitution, the South African Sign Language Act, the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and international human-rights conventions. Refusing an interpreter — even when DeafSA offers one — is unlawful, discriminatory, and places deaf patients at severe risk.
“In addition, the lack of cochlear implant batteries raises another urgent concern. Hospitals treating Deaf patients must ensure that assistive-device support, such as batteries, is readily available so that communication access is not further compromised. In mental-health cases, especially where a child is suicidal, communication is not optional — it is lifesaving. Deaf children must never be moved between facilities without coordinated communication access throughout the journey. We call on the Department of Health to urgently review this case, ensure the child receives immediate SASL access, and address the broader systemic failures affecting deaf patients,” said Druchen.
Mohale said the Department is not aware of the incident and will investigate accordingly to ensure that, where the health facility is unable to immediately provide interpreting service for deaf patients, an alternative interpreter from the family should be consented to facilitate conversation.
Asked whether government hospitals have SASLIs Mohale said:
“The issue of number of sign language interpreters can be obtained from provinces since most health facilities fall under the provinces. Arrangements should be made to source a qualified sign language interpreter to facilitate conversation to ensure the patient is not disadvantaged or ensure the provision of healthcare is not delayed.”
In October last year, another doctor at Northdale prescribed risperidone along with 20 mg of fluoxetine for the child.
“He got worse. The voices became louder. He has attempted suicide twice,” said the mother.
According to MedlinePlus, an online service of the National Library of Medicine, regarded as the world's largest medical library, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, medications such as fluoxetine may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions.
“This increase was found in children, teenagers, and young adults (less than 24 years of age). The risk may be more likely with the first few months of treatment and when the dose is increased,” outlines MedlinePlus on its website.
When asked whether doctors had performed a thorough psychiatric and medical assessment prior to prescribing fluoxetine — which has the potential to induce manic episodes in certain patients — she said she was not aware.
She said in October, at Northdale Hospital the psychologist allegedly increased the medication dosage of risperidone — a drug meant to aid his sleep. However, “he hasn’t managed to sleep at all since.”
Townhill had scheduled a computed tomography scan for him at Grey Hospital 3 December, and the results are clear.
The mother said a doctor at Townhill administered promethazine 50 mg, citalopram 20 mg and increased risperidone to 4 mg, “The antidepressants offer some assistance, but he is still unable to sleep. He sleeps only four hours toward morning, and he is supposed to go to school.”
KZN department's spokesperson Ntokozo Maphisa said:
"A key initiative is the training of our frontline health workers in basic SASL. To date, the Department has trained 724 health workers in basic sign language. In the current 2025/26 financial year, we have a target to train an additional 200 staff members. As of the end of September 2025, 95 health workers have already completed this training, with the remaining 105 scheduled for training in the third and fourth quarters. These trained staff serve as our primary day-to-day resource for communicating with deaf patients.
"We encourage families with specific concerns regarding care or communication to engage directly with the relevant hospital management to find immediate and workable solutions. The policies governing the provision of medical devices, such as batteries for privately inserted cochlear implants, can be complex. We would like to assure you that all devices provided by our department are equipped with rechargeable batteries. As a result, battery supply is not a challenge for our patients," said Maphisa.
At
the time of publishing, Mapisa and his team had not disclosed the whereabouts
of the 819 staff whom the department claims were trained in sign language and
who are supposed to interpret for the child upon his admission. He was also
silent on the amount of taxpayers’ money allegedly spent to train staff who are
still unavailable to assist the child.
