National Preventive Group of the Ombudsman carried out visits in regions

The members of National Preventive Group (NPG) conducted ad hoc visits to Ganja and Sheki Psychiatric Hospitals without prior notice within the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) mandate of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The visits, organized on the basis of OPCAT requirements and the Constitutional Law on the Ombudsman, were aimed at studying conditions of living, treatment issues, nutrition, access to medical-social care services, ensuring the rights of patients and proper documentation in those facilities during the special quarantine regime that was enacted due to the novel COVID-19 pandemic.

In the course of the visits, the NPG members monitored rooms and departments, visiting areas, canteen, food storage and other parts of facilities. They investigated the existing situation and documentation concerning rendering medical assistance, nutrition, supply of hot and cold drinking water, walking, meeting and phone calls, and identified deficiencies.

Ganja city and Sheki Psychiatric Hospitals have been moved to new buildings with due consideration of the Ombudsman’s proposals. During the visits, this was observed that sanitary-hygienic rules about COVID-19 pandemic were followed; staff was provided with personal protective equipment; patients and staff members were tested for COVID-19; disinfection work was regularly conducted; reception of parcels and meetings were temporarily suspended.

Although Ganja City Psychiatric Hospital is supplied with modern medical equipment, there is a need for specialist staff (lab specialist, roentgenologist, radiologist, therapist, psychiatrist and ultrasound technician) for their management.

This was also revealed that specialists and number of staff are lacking in Sheki Psychiatric Hospital.

In the framework of Human Rights Month-long Campaign, the NPG members held legal awareness-raising discussion with the administration and responsible staff members of the facility based on the UN Principles for the protection of persons with mental illness and improvement of mental health care and the Law on Psychiatric Assistance of the Republic of Azerbaijan. They also recommended keeping social distance and controlling the hygienic situation for the protection against COVID-19.