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120. As mentioned above, staffing levels remained insufficient and the recommendation
contained in the CPT’s 2001 visit report had not been addressed. It is, therefore, not surprising that
the fundamental components of an effective psycho-social rehabilitative treatment were
underdeveloped, even absent, and that the treatment provided to psychiatric patients consisted
essentially of pharmacotherapy. This situation can be attributed to the absence of suitably qualified
staff and a lack of appropriate facilities.
The CPT recommends that the Greek authorities take the necessary steps to fill the
vacant health care posts within the hospital inter alia by filling all the posts of psychiatrist and
by substantially revising the number of nursing staff and staff involved in therapeutic
activities. In addition, the Greek authorities should ensure that all staff are provided with
appropriate specialist training to carry out their duties professionally; further, a determined
effort should be made to develop psycho-social rehabilitation treatment programmes.
121. Despite a high prevalence of drug addicts the two drug rehabilitation programmes covered
only a limited number of patients. The CPT recommends the drug rehabilitation programmes
be made available to all those patients in need thereof.
It should also be noted that a significant number of patients interviewed by the delegation
referred to the easy access to illegal drugs inside the hospital. A successful treatment of drug abuse
cannot co-exist with the widespread availability of illicit substances, and the behaviour this
engenders.
122. With regard to the introduction of a proper medical filing system, the CPT notes with
dismay that there has been no progress in condensing the seven existing files into a single patient
file, as recommended in the 2001 visit report. The inefficiency this caused was apparent to the
delegation, as well as the fact that doctors found it difficult to obtain a clear overview of a patient’s
status. Obviously, appropriate measures need to be taken to ensure the security of the medical files.
Further, there was no internal policy on important medical issues, such as the use of
chemical or mechanical restraints. Such a policy should be drawn up forthwith.
The CPT recommends that the Greek authorities remedy these two problems.
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