ArmInfo.The rights of the mentally ill in Armenia will be protected at the state level. The parliament at the plenary session on June 1 in the first reading introduced amendments and additions to the law "On Psychiatric Care" and the package of related laws.
As Anahit Avanesyan, Deputy Minister of Health of Armenia noted in her speech, there are so many corrections in the package that one can talk about a new version of the bill. In particular, as the Deputy Minister noted, the current law does not have adjustments related to the rights of patients, and the capabilities of the medical staff that provide appropriate assistance are limited to some extent. The new version of the package clearly defines the rights of people suffering from mental disorders, regardless of their location. The bill also indicates the responsibilities of psychiatric institutions and the scope of their responsibility. The bill presents cases in the presence of which, the rights of people in a psychiatric hospital may be limited. But these restrictions can be adopted on the basis of the decision of the consultation of doctors, or in the absence thereof, on the basis of the opinion of the attending physician, the secret of the patient's history is also ensured. In addition, the person will receive the right to appeal against his compulsory hospitalization in court.
The package establishes the procedure for conducting forensic psychiatric examination, the implementation of forensic psychiatric examination involving commissions. The bill also proposed to establish clear deadlines on the mandatory conclusion of a doctor regarding the health status of persons undergoing compulsory treatment in a psychiatric clinic. Mechanisms are established for protecting information about the fact of going to a psychiatric clinic, undergoing examination, diagnosis and treatment. The amendments establish the procedure for the application of means and methods of calming, isolation and physical restraint of persons under treatment. According to the deputy minister, in case of adoption of the amendments, the situation with observance of the rights of persons with mental health problems will improve significantly, mechanisms for protecting these rights will be established.