NPM team continued to conduct a full visit to the Psychiatric Hospital Demir Hisar, within its mandate arising from the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Law on the Ombudsman. The purpose of the visit, among other things, is in accordance with the Optional Protocol identification of risks to prevent torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, by inspecting the material conditions in the public health institution, dealing with patients, exercising the rights guaranteed by the Law on Mental Health, the Law on the Protection of Patients’ Rights and other legal acts, as well as the keeping of records regarding this category of persons. The NPM team, during the visit to the Psychiatric Hospital Demir Hisar, came across documents that show that the last one was performed on January 29, 2019, for which the NPM team was provided with an official document. However, this date does not match the date of the last conducted disinfection, disinsection and deratisation (DDD) submitted by the State Sanitary and Health Inspectorate. The visit to the Demir Hisar Psychiatric Hospital was carried out in several steps. The team of the National Preventive Mechanism started the visit by talking to the employees who were at work at the time of the visit (specialist doctors, nurses, technicians, paramedics, etc.). Afterwards, an inspection of the accommodation facilities was conducted, confidential conversations were conducted with several patients upon choice, an inspection of the other common and auxiliary rooms (dining room, kitchen, etc.) was performed, and the Rehabilitation Centre was inspected. A number of medical files and other patient records were randomly selected and inspected. 4.1.2. Conversation with the management structures and services of the Demir Hisar Psychiatric Hospital The Public Health Institution Psychiatric Hospital Demir Hisar was established with the aim of accommodation, treatment, psycho-social care and rehabilitation of people with mental illness and other mental health problems. This health institution has a regional character, that is, it covers the south-western region of the Republic of North Macedonia. At the very beginning, the NPM team conducted a conversation with the director of the health institution Demir Hisar, who gave an explanation about the competence she has as a manager of the institution, the way of managing it and the work of the Departments. The psychiatric hospital is divided into departments, and each department has several units: • Addiction Department - This department includes the Alcohol Unit and the Addiction Unit; • Acute Department - Acute female unit; Acute mixed unit (adolescent unit) and Acute male unit; www. ombudsman.mk 155