hygienic conditions were not observed347 in the wards of the units that were in need of refurbishment; privacy was not ensured; wards were not artificially ventilated; artificial lighting was also problematic in some cases. During the visit paid on September 18-19, 2019, patients in the non-repaired wards of the Psychiatric Hospital of Batumi Medical Centre reported numerous cases when they had louses. Patients were allowed to take a shower only once a week, which was a problem in terms of protecting their personal hygiene.348 During a visit to Batumi Medical Centre,349 it was found out that due to the ongoing repairs, patients had not been allowed to walk in the open air for several months;350 in addition, the walking yard was not well-maintained and as representatives of the administration explained, they were plannig to arrange the yard in the near future. It should be positively noted that during the visit paid by the Deputy Public Defender of Georgia to Batumi Medical Centre Ltd on December 6, 2019, as well as during the visit of the Public Defender of Georgia on February 19, 2020, patients were walking in the yard of the institution. Beneficiaries of Acad. B. Naneishvili National Mental Health Centre are provided with the opportunity to be in the open air for one hour a day.351 During the visit, the facility infrastructure did not allow patients to walk in rainy weather. The lack of open air has a negative impact on patients’ physical and mental health. Therefore, it is important to allow patients to spend more time in the open air and to arrange walking areas so that to enable patients to walk there in rainy weather. It should be noted that during visits paid to the National Mental Health Centre on April 22-25, 2019 and the Psychiatric Hospital of Batumi Medical Centre on September 18-19 of the same year, patients complained about problems with making phone calls. Patients could only make a call by the phone of the social worker.352 Therefore, there is no doubt that given the size of the institutions and the busy 347 There is a heavy, pungent smell in the wards; the walls are dirty and damp; flies and mosquitoes are common in the wards, the interior is damaged by damp and the furniture is old. 348 Detailed information on the situation in these two facilities is available in the report on the visit to the National Mental Health Centre. The report is available at: <http://www.ombudsman.ge/res/docs/2019101014124916439.pdf > p. 31-36 , as well as in the report on the visit to Batumi Medical Centre Ltd. 349 September 18-19, 2019. 350 In 2018, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture paid a visit to Georgia, during which, the members of the committee visited Batumi Medical Centre Ltd. In the report, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture points out that outdoor exercise for patients at Batumi Medical Centre was very limited; some of the patients had not had access to outdoor exercise for weeks, months. The report is available at: <https://rm.coe.int/1680945eca> para. 129. [last accessed: 09.01.2020]. 351 Women placed in the shelter are an exception, as they have the opportunity to enjoy longer walks in good weather. 352 The telephone is only available for patients during the working hours of the social worker (10:00 am - 6:00 pm). There is no specific regulation in this regard. 114