their safety and govern the following issues: Introduction of an adequate system of preliminary
assessment of the risks derived from specific patients by the staff; multidisciplinary work; preventive
measures to be taken to protect patients from violence and ensure their safety; conducting appropriate
supervision/observation of patients by personnel, proper training of staff, development of strategy for
standard operating procedures and de-escalation; prompt and adequate intervention immediately the
threat; documenting incidents involving violence and response made; accountability and responsibility
of the staff. Unfortunately, the indicated recommendation has not been fulfilled.
5.4. SOMATIC (PHYSICAL) HEALTH
In 2018, problems were identified in terms of accessibility of somatic healthcare services for the patients
of psychiatric facilities214 as well as providing them with respective medicines. The Mental Healthcare
Programme215 does envisage monitoring of somatic (physical) health and treatment of patients with
mental health problems in psychiatric facilities. This leads to the aggravation of the patients’ state of
health and, sometimes, even death. Reimbursement is only provided for emergency cases within the
Universal Health Care Programme and planned medical services are co-funded.216 Patients cannot
afford this in certain cases. Transporting patients to a different medical establishment is also
problematic. This causes additional expenses for patients. Furthermore, the services of consultants are
not free of charge in the Academician B. Naneishvili National Centre for Mental Health. Moreover,
patients have to buy therapeutic medicines to manage their somatic (physical) health problems.
The problems of somatic healthcare are addressed also by the CPT in its report on the visit to Georgia
carried out on 10-21 September 2018. It is completely unacceptable for the committee that psychiatric
inpatients that lack financial means are requested to pay for somatic medical services. The CPT
recommends that urgent action should be taken to remedy this.217
When monitoring218 the Academician B. Naneishvili National Centre for Mental Health, the Special
Preventive Group studied the medical cards of deceased patients.219 Medical cards of patients deceased
214
See in detail, 2018 Report of the Public Defender of Georgia on the Situation of Protection of Human Rights
and
Freedoms
in
Georgia,
pp.
273-274,
available
at:
http://www.ombudsman.ge/res/docs/2019042620571319466.pdf, (accessed 11.06.2019).
215 Resolution no. 693 of the Government of Georgia of 31 December 2018 on Approving 2019 State Healthcare
Programmes, Annex no. 11 Mental Health (programme code 27 03 03 01).
216 A patient pays for a part of medical services.
217 Visit carried out on 10-21 September, para. 128, available at: https://rm.coe.int/1680945eca, (accessed
11.06.2019).
218 The Academician B. Naneishvili National Centre for Mental Health was visited on 22-24 2019.
219 The medical cards of patients deceased in the respective establishment or other medical establishments have
been studied. It is noteworthy that there is no death statistics maintained in the establishment. This hindered
the work of the Special Preventive Group. Despite the difficulties, the group managed to locate and examine 25
medical cards of the patients deceased from 1 January 2018 until 24 April 2019. 7 patients died in the
79
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