The Children Psychiatric Institution in the Polish town of Oparany offer specialised psychiatric treatment to children and adolescents who suffer from mental illness and psychiatric disorders. The institution, located in a former monastery, is the largest of its kind in the Czech Republic. Approximately 600 children and adolescents between the age of 3 and 18 who battle hyperactivity, personality development disruption, posttraumatic syndrome or other disorders receive treatment at the institution every year, each spending on average 50 days there.
Before the project started, the building and its equipment were in unsatisfactory conditions, both functionally and aesthetically. The institution was in need of basic equipment, and the non-functionality of the building could sometimes pose a risk to the physical health of the patients.
However, thanks to support from Norway, the institution has now been renovated and refurbished to improve its quality of treatment and the life quality of its patients. New equipment and furniture for the institution have been purchased and installed, the patients’ rooms and therapy spaces have been modernised, and the outdoor areas for leisure time activities and movement therapy have been reconstructed. New beds are in place for 160 children patients, modern colourful furniture and play therapy tools have been purchased and staff rooms have been modernised and equipped with new furniture and computers.
Partner in the project was the Psychiatric Medical Institution in Dobrany, which thanks to Norwegian funding also has been renovated and refurbished, and equipped with 25 new beds and a reconstructed playground.
Opening ceremony
The opening and the successful completion of the project were celebrated with a festive ceremony on 30 November. Norway’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Jens Eikaas, and representatives of the Czech Ministries of Health and Finance were among the guests of honour.
Photo: One of the refurbished children's rooms at the Children Psychiatric Medical Institution in Oparany. The picture is taken by the NMFA.