Mental Disability Advocate named "European Hero 2004"
Budapest, 12 October 2004. TIME Magazine has declared Mental Disability Advocacy Center board member Dr. Jan Pfeiffer a European Hero. This week’s edition of TIME Europe carries a “tribute to 29 dazzling people who shine a light on the world”, including Jan Pfeiffer, who has been fighting for a humane approach to psychiatry in his native Czech Republic and other countries for two decades.
The TIME Magazine article focuses on Jan’s contributions to the campaign against cage beds, an issue which MDAC has been addressing in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. Jan Pfeiffer describes cage beds as “psychologically damaging, an excuse for poor staffing and training, and a violation of human rights”.
In the Czech Republic the Ministry of Health has no plans to make the use of cage beds unlawful. Following pressure primarily from NGOs and Harry Potter author JK Rowling, on 13 July 2004, now ex-Minister of Health Kubinyi sent a non-legally binding letter to hospital directors asking to end cage bed use by the end of 2004. However, the new Minister of Health Milada Emmerova is considering withdrawing her predecessor's letter, which will have the effect of authorizing the continued use of cage beds. In psychiatric hospitals, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health, there are hundreds of cage beds currently in use without legal regulation.
The Czech Ministry of Social Affairs - responsible for the many “social care” institutions, also has no plans to make the use of cage beds unlawful. Contrary to international human rights standards, the Minister of Social Affairs recently sent a draft law to the Parliament which will regulate all forms of restraints, essentially legalizing the use of cage beds (currently used in a legal vacuum).
For more information, please see the 11 October 2004 issue of TIME Europe magazine.
For more information about cage beds, see MDAC’s website www.mdac.info
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