in the National Centre for Mental Health cite sudden death and acute cardiovascular failure in most
cases. The possible reason could be insufficient monitoring of patients’ somatic condition and the failure
to take risk factors into account. The inaccessibility of medical services and the problems of managing
physical healthcare in the centre can be proved by the fact that an inpatient medical card gives
information only about mental health and there is no entry about the state of somatic health before the
deterioration of a patient’s condition or his/her death.
The examination of the certificates of the state of health (form no.100/A) issued by referral clinics in
the medical cards of deceased patients shows that the state of health had worsened several days before
their transfer to a general hospital; whereas, according to the medical cards kept in the National Centre
of Mental Health, deterioration of the state of health is registered only on the day of the transfer. In
several cases, worsening problems of somatic health could be attributed to the overdose of antipsychotic
medicines220 or risky combination of prescribed medicines such as “Zopin” (“Clozapine”) in
combination with other antipsychotic medicines.221
5.5.
PROCUREMENT OF ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICINES
Psychiatric establishments, more than 50% of the shares of which is owned by the state, purchase
antipsychotic medicines in accordance with the Law of Georgia on Public Procurement. Therefore,
stemming from tender terms, usually, the cheapest and low-quality medicines are procured. In the
2017 parliamentary report, the Public Defender stressed the importance of quality medicines. In this
regard, the Public Defender recommended to the Government of Georgia considering the priority of
the quality of medicines, in accordance with Article 3.a-h) of the Law of Georgia on Public
Procurement, to approve the special procedure of procuring medicines by psychiatric establishments
(LTD), more than 50% of shares of which is owned by the state and to determine that these
establishments are allowed to use simplified procurement procedures for these medicines. However,
unfortunately, this recommendation has not been fulfilled.
5.6. THE RISK POSED TO THE PROVISION OF UNINTERRUPTED PSYCHIATRIC CARE IN
THE LTD CENTRE OF MENTAL HEALTH OF EAST GEORGIA
Inpatients should receive adequate medical care. In this regard, it is noteworthy that the Internal Audit
Department of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour,
establishment and 18 patients died in a short period, from 1 day to 2 weeks, after being transferred to another
medical establishment.
220 According to one of the deceased patients’ medical card, one of the medicines is prescribed with a maximum
dose in combination with either average or minimum dose of another antipsychotic medicine and sometimes in
combination with the third antipsychotic medicine, among others, Zopin.
221 One of the patients was prescribed pill treatment: “Haloperidol” (maximum dose) – 30mg three times a day,
“Zopin” (“Clozapine”) 300mg and benzhexol – 6mg a day.
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