The system for treating the mentally disabled people of Moldova must be reformed so as it guarantees efficient treatment, professional social assistance and decent attitude to the institutionalized persons, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of Moldova considers. Vanu Jereghi, coordinator for the project “Concrete Measures in Defending the Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of People in Mental Health Institutions in Moldova”, told a news conference on Tuesday, 17 July, that during the monitoring visits to the psychiatric hospitals and psycho-neurological institutions of Moldova, the Committee ascertained that these establishments are designed to help the patients recover, but they are not aimed at having concrete and palpable results. The patients are deprived of freedom not by court decision, but at the latitude of doctors, relatives and other interested persons. Also, according to the Committee, all the patients in psycho-neurological establishments are institutionalized for life and do not have the right to be reexamined or to leave the institution voluntarily despite the fact that de jure they have the capacity to act. There are person that are deprived of freedom for 10-15 years, even if they did not commit offences. The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights recommends the Government and the relevant institutions to work out and implement policies in the areas of mental health, social assistance and re-socialization so as to guarantee the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms taking into account the advanced practices and experiences. Jereghi said that a part of these conclusions were formulated during a fact-finding visit paid to Romania by a group of Moldovan specialists.