Serious shortages and overcrowding at Athalassa Hospital are placing patients and staff at risk, according to the mental health nursing branch of PASYDY, which says some patients are being forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor.
In a statement, the branch’s executive committee said the situation has reached a “critical and dangerous point”, warning that safety, quality of care and human dignity are being compromised.
Despite an increase in bed capacity from 20 to 30 in buildings originally designed to accommodate up to 20 patients, conditions have not improved and have instead deteriorated significantly, it added.
The union noted that while the infrastructure is modern, it is not equipped to safely handle a higher number of psychiatric patients. The concentration of large numbers of individuals in confined spaces, it said, sharply increases risks for both patients and staff.
It stressed that it had previously raised objections to the plan, warning that exceeding capacity would lead to unmanageable conditions. “Unfortunately, our warnings were ignored. The concentration of a large number of patients in limited spaces dramatically increases risks, both for the patients themselves and for staff,” the statement said.
The branch also criticised OKYpY, stating that no meaningful measures have been taken over the past two months to address the crisis. Despite repeated requests, it said, no action plan has been presented and no meeting has been convened to manage the situation.
Plans to create a new facility with a capacity of 14 people will not resolve the issue, the union argued, but merely shift the problem without providing real decongestion.
It warned that Athalassa Hospital cannot continue operating under current conditions and called on OKYpY and all relevant authorities to take immediate, substantive action. “The situation has exceeded all limits of endurance,” it said.
Among its demands are the identification of new and suitable spaces and infrastructure, as well as the convening of an urgent meeting to present a concrete and binding action plan to relieve pressure on the hospital.
“The health and dignity of patients cannot wait. It is a matter of immediate responsibility and action,” the statement concluded.
Source: CNA