A psychiatric medical institution processed 53 patients who were not capable of writing their own admission consent forms as voluntary admissions, unfairly restricting their right to be discharged and other rights.
The National Human Rights Commission said on the 19th that an ex officio investigation of the hospital found human rights violations, including coercive restraint of patients and breaches of admission procedures.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) launched an ex officio investigation after a petition in June last year alleged that medical staff at the hospital restrained inpatients in their rooms for long periods without even writing medical records, and falsified records to make it appear that patients who could not move had participated in group therapy programs, thereby fraudulently claiming medical fees.
The ex officio investigation found that the hospital had arbitrarily installed locks in an open ward, restricting even voluntary inpatients from freely entering and leaving.
It was also confirmed that, without a physician's examination or specific instructions, nurses and caregivers restrained 52 patients in their rooms under a customary order of "as-needed restraint."
The most severely affected patient lived in a hospital room with both arms tied for 10 months. Some patients lived with both hands and both feet tied except during mealtimes.
The NHRC Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities emphasized that "treatment for people with mental illness must comply with due process under the Constitution, and restrictions on physical liberty must be kept to a minimum."
The NHRC recommended that the hospital director: ▲ switch the admission type of patients who have difficulty communicating through appropriate procedures ▲ operate the ward in accordance with the approved items, including removing locks from open wards ▲ when restraining patients for psychiatric treatment or protection purposes, comply with procedures under laws and guidelines ▲ submit to the NHRC the results of remediation for the 52 victims of improper restraint ▲ prepare a manual on isolation and restraint of inpatients and provide training to all staff and caregivers.
The NHRC also recommended that the head of the competent local government thoroughly guide and supervise the hospital and take necessary measures, such as corrective orders, for violations of the Medical Service Act. It also recommended that the Minister of Health and Welfare prepare measures to prevent similar cases from recurring and set standards for the use of physical protective devices.
The NHRC said, "We hope this investigation will sound the alarm on human rights violations that are carried out as a matter of routine in psychiatric medical institutions, and become an opportunity for patients in custodial facilities to have their dignity as human beings guaranteed."