Prague, April 11 (CTK) – The Czech Republic is to have about 100 mental health centres to which care of patients with psychological disorders would move from hospitals within a psychiatry reform, Health Minister Miloslav Ludvik and his deputy Roman Prymula said today.
However, it will take 15 to 20 years to build the network, they said.
“In psychiatry we still belong in the East, we need to move to the West – to community care. But we need money for this” and also political support, Ludvik said.
Martin Anders, head of the specialist psychiatric society, said the centres will be tested in 15 pilot projects.
Every year, 3 to 4 percent of the health budget, or about ten billion crowns, go to psychiatric care.
Representatives of the Health Ministry, health insurance companies and the specialist society signed last year a memorandum that provides for an increase in the sum.
According to previous information, the Czech Republic could gain about four billion crowns for the reform from European funds until 2023.
The centres are to employ teams of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, nurses and social workers.
Anders said, however, there is a lack of experts for the centres.
“We will have to make changes in education. Psychiatry may be an attractive branch,” he said.
Prymula said there are about 8000 aftercare beds in psychiatric hospitals now. The hospital staff would gradually move to the centres as the number of the hospitals will decrease.
($1=25.082 crowns)
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