An inspection tour of "Al-Khanka" Hospital for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, Sunday, May 21, 2023

In continuation of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR)  assuming its role in following up the development of the mental health sector and supporting the rights of mentally ill patients, and in implementation of the work plan of the Social Rights Committee, on Sunday, May 21, 2023, the committee headed by Dr. Wafa Benjamin, Secretary of the Committee, made an inspection tour of "Al-Khanka" Hospital for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, with the participation of Mr. Abdel-Gawad Ahmed, member of NCHR, and both Mr. Asma Fawzi and Mr. Reda Abdel Aziz, members of the General Secretariat of NCHR.

Dr. Wael Fouad, Director General of "Khanka" Hospital for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, received NCHR delegation in the presence of a group of medical teams operating in the hospital. The data of the hospital, which includes the number of patients and beds, and a statement of the hospital’s stay periods, was presented. He stated that the hospital provides all the services that the patient needs, including examination, tests and medicine, free of charge. The delegation inspected the departments for free of charge treatment for men (voluntary - compulsory), as well as the Department of Rehabilitation and Addiction Treatment, departments of depositors, as well as outpatient clinics for children and adolescents.. The hospital buildings, clinics and rooms were also inspected, in addition to the meals provided to patients, to ensure that they conform to the specifications.

NCHR delegation continued to provide rehabilitative treatment for psychiatric patients to treat various mental and behavioral disorders, and the patients expressed their satisfaction with the quality of the medical programs and services provided, which contribute significantly to improving their conditions, behavior and psychological condition, especially with the medical teams dealing humanely with all cases.

  The committee recommended the need to continue work on developing the infrastructure of "Al-Khanka" Hospital in agreement with the plan of the Ministry of Health, which seeks to support the mental health sector in all governorates to protect the rights of psychiatric patients and enable workers in the psychiatric sector to play their role.

NCHR welcomes cooperation with the General Secretariat for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment at the Ministry of Health and in coordination with civil society organizations in order to carry out joint activities to support the mental health sector, and calls on the media to carry out campaigns to raise awareness of the protection of mental health