On August 13, Director of the National Center for the Prevention of Torture of Kyrgyzstan Bakyt Rysbekov and experts from the National Center for the Prevention of Torture Kalmaldin Zhaparov and Mirlan Zhakypov made a special visit to the neuropsychiatric social inpatient institutions No. 1 and No. 2 in Tokmok. As a result, they gave their recommendations.
The first closed institution for men with mental disorders, with a capacity of 300, holds 263 patients. The monthly state allowance for each doesn’t exceed $ 4.13 (350 KGS). $ 1.18 (100 KGS) is allocated for meal per day, $ 0.14 (12 KGS) – for medicines. In general, the state annually budgets $ 579,000 (49 million KGS) for the needs of the social institution. In fact, only part of the funds is allocated, which covers protected items of expenditure: food, medicines and staff salaries.
In total, the staff employs 140 people. The minimum wage is about $ 47.2 (4,000 KGS), which, of course, is not enough taking into account inflation, hard moral and physical labor.
The neuropsychiatric social stationary institution No. 1 in Tokmok was opened in 1989. Since then, the buildings haven’t been overhauled even once. In addition, the boiler room needs repair. The psychiatric dispensary is greatly supported by sponsors. Thanks to the support of the German Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic and the Japanese government, the special institution replaced the beds, installed cast-iron batteries in the rooms, updated kitchen and laundry equipment, and purchased new linoleum.
At the same time, according to the results of the inspection, the employees of the National Center for the Prevention of Torture discovered shortcomings in the work of the state institution, which the staff are able to eliminate on their own and at no great expense. For example, taps in the toilets and the dining room are broken, electrical wires are not insulated on the walls in some places (both a plumber and an electrician are on the staff). In the kitchen, there is unsanitary conditions. In the bathhouse, personal hygiene items (wash-basins, washcloths) are common.
According to the director of the social institution, Zhumadil Saliev, it’s impossible to comply with the norm of 6.5 square meters, which, according to the law, should be for each person (in fact, it’s 3-4 square meters). To decide this issue, they need to build an additional building.
“In comparison with previous years, we see positive changes in the conditions of keeping people, but there is still work to be done. There is no schedule for taking bath procedures, there is no strict control over patients during meals. For example, today we observed how one of the patients took two portions of the first and the second courses, while his neighbor ate only bread,” comments Kalmaldin Japarov, an expert of the Department of preventive visits of the National Center for the Prevention of Torture of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Based on the results of the check, the employees of the National Center will send a prescription to the neuropsychiatric institution to eliminate all detected violations in a short time. If during the intermediate check the recommendations of the specialists are not followed, an act will be drawn up. The document will be sent for consideration to the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development.
In the psycho-neurological social stationary institution No. 2 of a mixed type in Tokmok, opened in 1933, there are 216 people (88 women and 128 men). Patients with mild and severe mental retardation, schizophrenia, epilepsy are transferred here from the Belovodskoe children’s psycho-neurological boarding school upon reaching the age of 18.
The wards live in four buildings, including rooms for bed-patients and crawling patients. Last year, the Kuwait Charitable Foundation “As-Safa Center” built a new modern building for women. In September this year, a new building for men will be opened in the psychiatric hospital, also thanks to the efforts of sponsors.
The total annual budget of the special institution is $ 508,000 (43 million KGS). The state spends $ 1.29 (110 KGS) for food and $ 0.15 (12.7 KGS) for medicines per day for each patient. The average salary of employees (100 employees) is $ 106 (9,000 KGS).
The salaries of medical workers in Kyrgyzstan have been increased since July 1. The medical staff of the special institution also falls into this category, but here salaries have remained at the same level. The National Center for the Prevention of Torture will send a request to the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development concerning all social institutions of this type to find out why health workers, caring for people with disabilities, didn’t receive a raise.
According to the results of the inspection of living quarters, a catering, a bathhouse and toilets, the specialists of the National Center for the Prevention of Torture didn’t reveal any violations. Sanitary norms and rules are strictly followed, meals are four times a day, women are fully provided with personal hygiene and health aids, which are given to them at the first request.
“I would call this social institution one of the most exemplary in the republic: attentive attitude to patients, responsible approach of each employee to the work, rational use of allocated funds. Such hard work, of course, should be paid with dignity. We will raise this issue at every opportunity and seek to increase salaries for the employees of the institution,” concluded Bakyt Rysbekov, the head of the National Center for the Prevention of Torture of the Kyrgyz Republic.
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