Upgraded facilities for mentally ill promised

State health services organisation Okypy on Monday said it would create a guest house for mental health patients who have nowhere to go after being discharged from the Athalassa state psychiatric hospital.

Okypy, which runs state hospitals, said that the former Latsia health centre will be turned into a guest house with 11 beds. It will host patients with chronic mental illness, who are now at the Athalassa psychiatric hospital, and who pose no threat to society and could be rehabilitated.

It said that such cases concern people who have been assessed to no longer need compulsory hospitalisation at the Athalassa hospital, but who have no one to take care of them.

It added that specialised nursing staff will be on the premises around the clock.

Plans include tree planting around the perimeter of the guest house and an upgrade of the building.

This project, backed by the Latsia municipality, aims at offering a “humane environment” to people with chronic mental illness and at the same time decongest the Athalassa hospital, Okypy said.

It added that the guest house will follow all standards necessary for the operation of such places.

Okypy said this is part of a series of actions for the continuous improvement of the infrastructure and mental health services to those who need it.