- 60 2.
Living conditions and treatment
139. The delegation focused its visit on the four wards on the main site of the hospital (the
Asklepios, Hippocrates, Gousis and Galinos units) and the hostel located across the street, which all
accommodated some involuntary patients. The Galinos, Asklepios and Hippocrates units
accommodated mostly elderly, long stay, patients, who were awaiting transfer to one of the newly
established hostels or sheltered apartments, or for a transfer to Arta on the mainland. These units
were open wards, while the Gousis unit was a closed ward for patients with acute disorders.
140. In general, the delegation found that the living conditions in the wards visited in Corfu
Psychiatric Hospital were acceptable in terms of cleanliness. Further, the rooms, which were
generally shared by two to four persons, were sufficient in size with ample access to natural light
and furnished with a bed and a bedside table. That said, the overall atmosphere was rather austere,
without any personal decoration or personal items.
141. More importantly, with the exception of the recently painted Gousis unit, the wards and the
hostel were in a state of disrepair, and were in need of renovation and reorganisation. For example,
in the Hippocrates unit, the patients were exclusively elderly women, with only two of the twenty
patients able to climb the stairs unaided, and yet all the bedrooms were upstairs. The delegation was
informed that accidents had already happened.
The hostel, for its part, had recently suffered serious damage to the upstairs bathrooms and
toilet, and to the ceiling of the ground floor, due to leaking pipes. Obviously, this had a distinctly
negative effect on the living conditions of patients. It should be noted in this connection that the
hostel would continue to be used when the hospital became a decentralised facility, and that even
the above mentioned wards may well remain in service for some months to come. Consequently,
the CPT recommends that the Greek authorities take appropriate measures in light of the
above remarks.
142. As regards psychiatric treatment, it should involve access to appropriate medical treatment
as well as a wide range of rehabilitative and therapeutic activities, including access to occupational
therapy, group therapy, individual psychotherapy, art, drama, music and sports. Patients should
have regular access to suitably-equipped recreation rooms.
This was not the case in Corfu Psychiatric Hospital, where the treatment consisted mainly of
pharmacotherapy; the psychologist of the hospital rarely met with patients and only the Asklepios
unit had a room for therapy (music). It was also clear that no individualised treatment plans
supported by a multidisciplinary team were implemented.
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