12:02, 22 July 2023

Torture of patient in Makhachkala highlights problem of security of psychiatric clinics

Investigation of a criminal case in connection with the torture of a patient in the Republican Psychoneurological Dispensary in Dagestan. Screenshot of the video https://t.me/sledcom_press/7764

A nurse who abused a patient in Makhachkala has been detained. The actions of the medical staff filmed on video violate the provisions of the law on psychiatric care, but do not often become public, lawyer Magomed Gadjiev notes. He suggests that other similar cases may come up in the course of the investigation.

On July 20, the Prosecutor’s Office of Dagestan began an investigation after a video appeared on the social media, in which a nurse of the Republican Psychoneurological Dispensary abused a patient, while her colleague was filming what was happening and laughing. The Dagestani Ministry for Public Health reported about the dismissal of those nurses.

“When being provided with psychiatric care, all persons suffering from mental disorders have the right to respectful and humane treatment, excluding the humiliation of human dignity,” states the Law “On psychiatric care and guarantees of the rights of citizens in its provision”.

No physical force against patients is acceptable, emphasizes a former doctor who worked at a psychiatric hospital. “Particularly violent patients may be straitjacketed or sedated. However, no abuse without a reason is acceptable. As far as one may judge from the video in Makhachkala, the patient did not pose a huge threat,” the doctor said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 21, 2023 at 06:49 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Oleg Ionov

Source: СK correspondent