The persons with mental disabilities are not treated appropriately in medical institutions and in society, people’s ombudsman Anatolie Munteanu said in the program “Place for dialogue” on the public station Radio Moldova, IPN reports.

According to Anatolie Munteanu, the main problem existing in psychiatric hospitals is the inferior medical personnel supervising the patients, who have an inappropriate attitude towards these people. Another problem is the emphasis put on treatment based on medication, including for calming the patients. This practice was inherited from the Soviet period and is no longer used in the civilized states.

The ombudsman said the persons with mental disabilities are discriminated in society, being often ridiculed for their disability. The legal practice of declaring persons with mental disabilities as mentally incompetent is also inappropriate. “The condition that the psychiatric evaluation must last for at most one hour is improper as, based on this assessment, the person is deprived of civilian life. The fact that this process is almost irreversible is even more serious. Though the legislation allows it, the competence of the people declared mentally incompetent is seldom restored. When a person is judged to be incompetent, a guardian is appointed to handle the person’s property and personal affairs,” said Anatolie Munteanu.

The people’s ombudsman also said that he had talked to people declared mentally incompetent who were normal people who wanted to reintegrate into society, to work and to take part in elections. “It is a system problem. I will demand that the legislation be reviewed. We must help these persons who are sometimes sent on a road from where there is no way back by mistake,” he stated.