CPT _2010_ 82 - EN - Report Armenia 2010 _2_ - The Government ...

- 56 -Lighting, ventilation, levels of hygiene (including in the sanitary facilities) and bedding weregenerally acceptable in all the wards. However, the dormitories were mostly impersonal and austere,and many patients had no place to keep their personal belongings, which was particularly striking onWard 3 (where some patients had resided for over 8 years). Further, there was a lack of day roomfacilities.The CPT recommends that occupancy levels in patients’ rooms at Yerevan NorkCentre of Mental Health, in particular on Ward 3 be reduced, and that no patients areaccommodated in the corridors.Further, the Committee recommends that the Armenian authorities:- offer patients a more congenial and personalised environment and provide themwith personal lockable space for their belongings;- establish proper day rooms sufficient for the number of patients being held.136. The delegation was concerned that in both establishments visited, juveniles wereoccasionally accommodated together with adults (at the time of the visit, there was a 15-year-oldgirl at Yerevan Nork Centre of Mental Health and a 17-year-old boy at the Secure Unit ofNubarashen Psychiatric Hospital). In view of their vulnerability and special needs, juvenilesshould be provided with adequately protected accommodation, in a clearly separate area ofthe ward concerned. Naturally, this should not prevent juveniles from participating inrehabilitative psycho-social and recreational activities with adults, under appropriatesupervision by staff.4. Staff137. At the Secure Unit of Nubarashen Psychiatric Hospital, staff on Ward 6 consisted of onefull-time psychiatrist, one head nurse, four nurses and eight orderlies. As for Ward 7, staffing wasidentical, except that there were two additional nurses. Nurses and orderlies were working 24-hourshifts, there being one nurse and two orderlies in each ward at night and at week-ends. Further, onedoctor was on duty for the whole hospital after working hours.As regards psychiatrists, the situation on Ward 7 has deteriorated compared with 2002(when there were two full-time doctors 88 ) and the current psychiatrist/patient ratio cannot beconsidered adequate. Further, the staff resources in terms of nurses and orderlies in Ward 7 areinsufficient. It also appeared during the visit that very little specialised training was provided tonurses and orderlies, a situation already criticised in 2002.Moreover, as regards both Ward 6 and Ward 7, the absence of psychologists 89 and otherstaff qualified to provide therapeutic activities clearly precluded the emergence of a therapeuticmilieu based on a multidisciplinary clinical approach.8889There had been two more full-time doctors on the former Ward 5.There was only one psychologist for the whole hospital.