European Committee for Prevention of Torture visits hospitals in Romania

A delegation of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of the Council of Europe (CPT) made an ad hoc visit to Romania over September 19-30, to check into the treatment of patients in psychiatric centres and of people in residential care homes, reads a press release sent on Tuesday by the European institution.

The CPT delegation visited four civilian psychiatric hospitals, where it focused on the treatment of patients who developed severe forms of their mental disorders and long-term chronic patients.

A special attention was paid to the treatment and care conditions for patients at the Padureni-Grajduri Psychiatric Hospital.

In addition, the delegation visited, for the first time, three different types of residential centres.

During the visit, the delegation had meetings with several officials, led by the Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, as well as with the Ombudsman, Renate Weber, and representatives of the civil society.

At the end of the visit, the delegation sent a series of preliminary observations to the Romanian authorities,according to the same source.

Thus, the delegation visited the Balaceanca Psychiatry Hospital, the Psychiatry Clinic within the "Mavromati" County Emergency Hospital in Botosani, the Obregia Psychiatry Hospital in Bucharest, the Socola Psychiatry Hospital in Iasi and the Padureni-Grajduri Psychiatry Hospital.

The delegation also visited the Neuropsychiatric Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre in Constanta, the Neuropsychiatric Recovery and Rehabilitation Center from Sasca Mica, the Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Persons from Pastraveni and the Care and Assistance Centre in Mircesti.

This was the 13th visit to Romania by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of the Council of Europe.