The Ministry of Health launched the investment package from the recovery plan to the improvement and modernisation of mental health care in Slovakia. Almost EUR 28 million will go to the reconstruction of the bed fund of institutional psychiatric care, to the construction of psycho-social centres, psychiatric stationers or diagnostic and intervention centres for people with autistic spectrum disorders.
It is easy to overlook people suffering from mental illness without obvious injuries. Nevertheless, as a company, we cannot overlook them. Investing in better mental health care is an investment in healthier, safer and more socially compact Slovakia, said Vladimir Lengvarsky, Minister of Health.
Most of the funds, a total of EUR 10.6 million, are intended to improve conditions for patients in institutional psychiatric care. Finance will be used to reconstruct the bed fund, ensure a reduction in the number of patients in one room and in particular replace the so-called cage beds with more humane secular rooms.
As early as 2008, the UN Human Rights Committee recommended that cage beds be excluded from Slovakia. Nevertheless, they are used. That's why I'm glad we're finally going to close this old chapter on mentally ill care, Vladimir Lengvarsky continues.
The second highest amount of the investment package, almost eight million euros, is intended to create psycho-social centres for patients. It is these centres that can significantly prevent hospitalisations, help people at risk to solve their problems before they become serious complications.
The third challenge for 6.5 million euros is to complete a network of psychiatric staff for children and adults. It will be possible to help people who have already been diagnosed with a disease, return to society and subsequent rehabilitation, for example, thanks to functioning staff. Finally, last but not least, we want to invest almost EUR 2.4 million in the construction of diagnostic and intervention centres for people with autistic spectrum disorders, which are significantly lacking in Slovakia,The Minister of Health has concluded.
Complete information on individual calls will soon be published on the website of the Ministry of Health.