The health department is preparing to strengthen the capacity for children's psychiatric patients

The past years revealed insufficient capacity of beds for children's psychiatric patients. Mental health care, including children, is one of the priorities of the health department and is therefore currently working on projects aimed at increasing the number of beds and creating a better working environment for healthcare professionals treating children's patients.
The pandemic highlighted the need for psychiatric beds, as social isolation or isolated contact has a serious impact on the mental health of children and adolescents. I can declare to the Ministry of Health that we are dealing with these issues. We are looking for the best solutions because what we are currently at risk of is the closing of beds due to a lack of nursing staff, which may further endanger the care of acute children's patients, stated State Secretary at the Ministry of Health Lenka Dunajová Družkovská during the conference Hlavolamy in children's psychiatry organized by the Department of Children's and Adolescent Psychiatric Society in cooperation with the main expert MUDr. Theresa Rosenbergerová.
The conference included lectures on knowledge and research already applied in practice. The event also presented standard diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for pedopsychiatric and psychological care of children and adolescents with mental anorexia. Participants were familiar with standard operating procedures for autistic spectrum disorders from screening to pharmacotherapy developed within the project Development of new and innovative standard clinical procedures and their introduction into medical practice, which the Ministry covers.

In Slovakia we currently have 117 children's psychiatric beds, but currently 40 beds are reserved for COVID-19 positive children's patients. For this reason too, the resort is actively communicating with hospital experts and representatives in order to expand the capacity of existing beds, for example at the University Hospital Martin. State Secretary Lenka Dunajová Drúžkovská therefore visited the Psychiatric Clinic of the University Hospital Martin accompanied by the chief and chief of the clinic doc. MUDr. Igor Ondrejka PhD. and MUDr. PhDr. Igor Hrtánek, PhD. The diagnosis with which children are hospitalised as well as the average length of hospitalization on an acute bed was reported. According to the primary clinic, the length of hospitalization also depends on the severity of the diagnosis and the general condition of the patient. Many times the length of hospitalization is more than 4 months. Last year, the UNM Psychiatric Clinic treated a total of 450 children and adolescents. State Secretary MZ SR expressed thanks to all health professionals in the department and supported them in caring for the most vulnerable: I would like to thank you very much for all your care and commitment, which gives these children the opportunity to reintegrate into society and everyday life to the extent that their health allows them.
Other capacity-building options for children's psychiatric patients were also addressed in the National Institute of Children's Diseases. The head of the Clinic of Children's Psychiatry doc. MUDr. Jana Trebaticá, PhD. together with the representative of MUDr. Ján Šub, MPH accompanied the State Secretary of the Clinic premises. She was interested in equipment equipment and treatment of children's patients. Clinic is the only workplace in Slovakia that provides a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders in patients of child and adolescents. It specializes in the wide issue of serious psychiatric disorders - children's schizophrenia, children's autism, depression, self-harm and suicidal behaviour. The situation in the area should improve resources from the Recovery and Resilience Plan of Slovakia.