Till the 80’s, in Greece, thousands of people with mental health problems were confined to large psychiatric institutions. When the horrific living conditions at the Leros Asylum became known to the public, there was an international outcry, and the European Union forced our country to reform its psychiatric services.
Nowadays, thanks to the efforts of the mental health professionals in our country and EU funding, substantial progress has been made in the field of psychiatric services. Some psychiatric institutions have been closed down, while the creation of community-based structures (hostels, sheltered apartments, day centers) has ensured accommodation, support and human living conditions to thousands of former inpatients.
However, over the past three years, problems regarding the funding (in 2008 funding was down by 50%) of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Units operated by Non-Governmental Organizations (Scientific Associations), lead psychiatric reform to a dead end. The unjustifiable and systematic refusal of the Minister of Health to fulfill the financial obligations towards the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Units, despite the recommendations of the European Union, puts thousands of people with mental health problems at direct risk.
The mental health professionals are left unpaid over the past five months while still working. The Units are unable to cover even their daily operating expenses, with consequences on the quality of care. If this situation goes on, the Rehabilitation Units risk terminating their operation in the near future and the people with mental health problems risk to be transferred back to the psychiatric institutions.
As humans who cannot disregard our fellow human beings; as citizens of this country that has thrown its mentally ill patients into the institutional “gorge of Kaiadas”, and finally as mental health professionals who have strived to get Greece out of the psychiatric dark ages: We denounce the negligence and hypocritical attitude of the Ministry of Health and we call:
Nowadays, thanks to the efforts of the mental health professionals in our country and EU funding, substantial progress has been made in the field of psychiatric services. Some psychiatric institutions have been closed down, while the creation of community-based structures (hostels, sheltered apartments, day centers) has ensured accommodation, support and human living conditions to thousands of former inpatients.
However, over the past three years, problems regarding the funding (in 2008 funding was down by 50%) of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Units operated by Non-Governmental Organizations (Scientific Associations), lead psychiatric reform to a dead end. The unjustifiable and systematic refusal of the Minister of Health to fulfill the financial obligations towards the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Units, despite the recommendations of the European Union, puts thousands of people with mental health problems at direct risk.
The mental health professionals are left unpaid over the past five months while still working. The Units are unable to cover even their daily operating expenses, with consequences on the quality of care. If this situation goes on, the Rehabilitation Units risk terminating their operation in the near future and the people with mental health problems risk to be transferred back to the psychiatric institutions.
As humans who cannot disregard our fellow human beings; as citizens of this country that has thrown its mentally ill patients into the institutional “gorge of Kaiadas”, and finally as mental health professionals who have strived to get Greece out of the psychiatric dark ages: We denounce the negligence and hypocritical attitude of the Ministry of Health and we call:
- Every competent authority to act immediately in order to solve the problem
- Every Greek citizen to support our efforts
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment