Q:
A:
Better protection of mentally challenged must be ensured
Belgrade,
19 October 2012
Minister of Health Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic today noted the necessity of securing more adequate conditions for persons with mental disorders and ensuring their health care.
Author:
Tanjug
Addressing the conference “Protection of the rights of persons with mental disorders permanently placed in mental health care facilities”, Djukic-Dejanovic stressed the complexity of this issue, adding that it must be resolved through cooperation between various sectors and ministries.
She noted that in order to improve the care of mentally challenged persons there has to be a law on their protection, adding that it will most likely be adopted around the end of the year.
State Secretary of Labour, Employment and Social Policy Brankica Jankovic stressed that conditions in mental health care facilities are not satisfactory, but that progress has been made in this remit.
Jankovic observed that the Serbian Health Insurance Office lacks the funds to procure better medicines and that social care institutions, which accommodate persons with mental disorders, do not have enough health workers.
Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic voiced his expectation that the adoption of a law on the protection of rights of mentally disabled persons will help to amend the situation in practice, but warned that it is not enough to pass a law – it has to be composed well and it has to be actually enforced.
Jankovic said that the most common complaints refer to the fact that the patients are kept in mental health care facilities for too long, that these facilities are too big and too far from city centres and thus patients do not have enough contact with their families.
Acting Head of OSCE Mission in Serbia Paula Thiede underlined that her organisation welcomes the efforts made by Serbia in this area and that it will continue to extend support.
She noted that in order to improve the care of mentally challenged persons there has to be a law on their protection, adding that it will most likely be adopted around the end of the year.
State Secretary of Labour, Employment and Social Policy Brankica Jankovic stressed that conditions in mental health care facilities are not satisfactory, but that progress has been made in this remit.
Jankovic observed that the Serbian Health Insurance Office lacks the funds to procure better medicines and that social care institutions, which accommodate persons with mental disorders, do not have enough health workers.
Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic voiced his expectation that the adoption of a law on the protection of rights of mentally disabled persons will help to amend the situation in practice, but warned that it is not enough to pass a law – it has to be composed well and it has to be actually enforced.
Jankovic said that the most common complaints refer to the fact that the patients are kept in mental health care facilities for too long, that these facilities are too big and too far from city centres and thus patients do not have enough contact with their families.
Acting Head of OSCE Mission in Serbia Paula Thiede underlined that her organisation welcomes the efforts made by Serbia in this area and that it will continue to extend support.
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