On January 30, the Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan, the Chair of the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs of National Assembly Vladimir Vardanyan, the Chair of the Standing Committee on Healthcare and Social Affairs of the National Assembly Narek Zeynalyan, deputies Ani Samsonyan and Anna Karapetyan paid a joint visit to “Dzorak” mental health care center.
The purpose of the visit were the complaints from local residents addressed to Vladimir Vardanyan, as a member who was elected for that electoral district: a kindergarten is situated on the ground floor of one of the buildings of the mental health care center.
In particular, parents of children have stated that the Kindergarten N34 of Yerevan is separated from “Dzorak” center by a fence, but not completely. The windows of “Dzorak” center and the kindergarten have a view on the yards of the 2 institutions and there is a periodic interaction with persons suffering from mental health problems. Besides, the voices of persons under the mental health care can be heard that is concerning for the parents of the children.
“During the visit a number of issues were recorded in “Dzorak” mental health care center, which were discussed with the administration, urging them to find prompt solutions, but the most concerning is the fact that the interaction between persons under care and children is obvious, and it is possible that one of the persons under care may appear on the territory of the kindergarten and vice versa”, says deputy Vladimir Vardanyan.
The Human Rights Defender and the deputies walked through the territories used by the institutions, had discussions and private interviews with the Director of the center, its staff and the persons under mental health care.
Discussions have been conducted also with the director of the kindergarten N34, its staff and parents of the children, as well as with residents of the houses in the neighborhood of the institutions.
“The issues of persons suffering from mental health problems are under my everyday attention. During the monitoring visit to “Dzorak” we had earlier revealed problems connected with the number of medical staff, medicine and medical instruments, practice of measures of restraint, food, etc. The necessity to repair and to improve the living, including sanitary and hygiene conditions was stressed”, informed the Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan.
The Human Rights Defender and the deputies have agreed to discuss this issue with the RA Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, the Minister of Healthcare and the Mayor of Yerevan.
Information. The “Dzorak” mental health care center was established in 2015 and functions under the jurisdiction of the RA Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Previously in 2007-2015 the Boarding School N1 of Child Care and Protection of Yerevan functioned in the same building, and as a result of its reorganization “Dzorak” center was established. The kindergarten N34 of Yerevan has been functioning at the same place for more than 30 years.