“They send their needs to the chair”: the conditions of detention of patients in the Kurgan mental hospital were shocked

A local human rights activist filed a complaint with the HRC

The terrible conditions of detention in the Kurgan Regional Psychoneurological Hospital may soon become a reason for serious investigation, including by investigative authorities. As MK learned, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation received a complaint from the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kurgan Region, Boris Shalyutin. He described what he saw with his own eyes during an inspection of the hospital.

Last summer, during an inspection, the commissioner drew attention to a lot of violations in the hospital. He drew attention to non-compliance with the standards for the minimum area per person. There were no partitions between the toilets in the bathroom. Patients complained of rude treatment and threats from staff. The food did not meet the standards approved by the Ministry of Health.

The other day, Shalyutin checked the hospital again and made sure that no serious changes had occurred. Moreover, new terrible violations were revealed. In particular, it was established that patients were prohibited from leaving their wards to visit the bathroom. We are talking about the so-called “observation chambers”. As a result, patients have to send their natural needs to the sanitary chair, in front of bedridden patients and staff, since there is no door and the entire ward is visible from the corridor. Patients are forced to carry out duties assigned to hospital staff – cleaning rooms, corridors and toilets. Walking yards are in complete disrepair.

On January 24, the commissioner’s office received information that the investigative department of the Investigative Committee for the Kurgan region would be checking information about unlawful actions of hospital employees.