In Montenegro, there are no adequate conditions for the treatment of people with mental illnesses, especially children who need urgent hospitalization, said the Action for Human Rights (HRA).
From that non-governmental organization, they said that "despite many promises", social patients, whose need for treatment has ceased, are still living in the Special Hospital for Psychiatry in Kotor because, according to them, the state has no solution for their care.
"The construction of a special hospital within the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions in Spuz, which would house forensic patients and treat prisoners, has not been started," they added.
They also said that the deadline for the completion of the construction of the new Psychiatry Clinic in Podgorica is uncertain.
To date, according to them, accommodation facilities for hospital treatment of children with mental illnesses have not been provided, but, as they say, they are accommodated in the countries of the region (most often Serbia).
"Action for Human Rights appeals to the competent state institutions - the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Justice, the Employment Agency of Montenegro, all local governments - to urgently, within their competences, undertake the measures and activities foreseen in the Protection and Promotion Strategy of mental health in Montenegro 2019-2023, specifically, to form a working group to develop an analysis of the conditions and needs for the start of the implementation of social housing with support in the community; to improve the functioning of the assertive teams that were formed at the Centers for Mental Health and conduct an analysis of the compliance of the legislation in in the field of mental health with relevant international recommendations in the field of respect and protection of the human rights of persons with mental illnesses," the HRA press release states.
As they state, the implementation of all these activities is delayed "because they were supposed to be implemented in 2019".
"We especially appeal to the Ministry of Health to urgently and seriously approach the preparation of a new Strategy for the protection and improvement of mental health in Montenegro - because the current Strategy expires in three months - which will contain precise information about which activities from the previous Strategy have not been fulfilled and why they have not been fulfilled ", they said from HRA.
The above was also concluded at today's conference organized by Caritas Montenegro, where the social worker of Action for Human Rights, Martina Markolović, participated as a panelist.
They said, among other things, she reminded those present that Montenegro has not yet fulfilled numerous recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) since 2004, the Ombudsman, Action for Human Rights and other non-governmental organizations made with the aim of improving the position of persons with mental illness and respecting their rights.
Markolović, as stated in the HRA announcement, emphasized the importance of adequate media reporting on mental health in order to break prejudices and stereotypes, which, as they believe, are still largely present in Montenegro to the extent that they prevent timely and adequate treatment.
"Additional education of the population about mental illnesses is necessary because ignorance causes fear, shame and stigmatization, which contributes to the worsening of the disease and tragic outcomes. We would like to thank Caritas Montenegro for the invitation and the opportunity to learn from colleagues in the surrounding area (Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia) about successful examples of deinstitutionalization, i.e. moving people from an institution to the community, but also creating not only a comfortable, but also a pleasant environment in institutions, especially when accommodation is necessary (e.g. in homes for the elderly). Both Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are far ahead of Montenegro Up," HRA said.
They said that although the representatives of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare "unfortunately" did not attend the conference, they expect to learn about successful practices in the immediate environment and start implementing what the Strategy promised to be fulfilled in 2019.
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