The Buenos Aires Ombudsman intervened in response to the national government’s announcement about the closure of the inpatient and guard service of the “Laura Bonaparte” National Mental Health Hospital, and demanded that the Executive guarantee the continuity of the treatments of the people who attend this health center.
The request of the organization led by Guido Lorenzino is in line with what was expressed by the Executive Secretary of the National Mental Health Review Body (ORN), who also demanded that any measure be adopted within the framework of the protection and safeguarding of the rights of people with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities, as provided for in the Mental Health Law.
“The closure of the on-call and inpatient services of the Bonaparte Hospital not only violates the fundamental rights of the users, but also generates a negative impact on their mental health and well-being, since it deprives them of adequate and continuous access to services. necessary care at a critical moment in his life,” said Lorenzino.
Furthermore, it considered that this decision “puts at risk the job stability of the mental health personnel who work in the institution, affecting their work continuity and compromising the services that guarantee the care of users, which could generate a loss of trained professionals. and destabilize the mental health system as a whole.”
The Ombudsman’s Office, which made this claim because it presides over the Executive Secretariat of the Local Mental Health Review Body of the Province, also warned that the lack of adequate planning and communication regarding the continuity of the treatments of people hospitalized and in the On-call service can generate a state of anguish and helplessness in users and their families, who depend on these services for their recovery and well-being.
At the same time, it considers that the State, as guarantor of the rights of citizens, must substantiate and explain in detail the reason for this decision, as well as establish a contingency plan that ensures the continuity of care in dignified and appropriate conditions for all affected people.
Bonaparte Hospital provides specialized care in mental health and addictions to those who reside in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and surrounding areas, and is in a Network with Hospitals throughout the country providing support and accompaniment in difficult cases.
It has a mental health guard with daily and full-time care, a specialized inpatient service, a service specialized in mental health care and problematic consumption of girls, boys and adolescents up to 18 years of age, and it is a vocational training center. for mental health workers, as well as research and knowledge production.
