The creation of the National Mental Health Services Network, which has been operating for a few weeks since the beginning of February 2025, will substantially and radically change the way of care of offenses with mental illnesses, Deputy Minister of Health Dimitris Vartzopoulos stressed on the occasion of the crime, on the occasion of the crime. 19/2 at the Multipurpose Mental Health Nursing Unit of Attica (formerly SNA) by a patient hospitalized there based on Article 69 of the Criminal Code.

Specifically, the Deputy Minister of Health stated the following in dealing with the treatment of psychiatrics in the country:

“In principle, and in order to avoid any stigma, it should be said that crimes against life are committed by mentally suffered more rarely than the general population. Recentrals from patients under treatment are rare.

Patients with mental illnesses who have committed a crime are distinguished in two categories according to their ability to imputure, that is, the ability to perceive the unfairness of their act and act according to this perception.

Delivery psychiatric patients with capacity, that is, with integers or reduced responsibility for their actions, are hospitalized as criminal prisoners in the Special Psychiatric Nursing Unit of the Korydallos Prison Store. This, as of February 1, 2025, with the application of Law 5129/24, now operates as a modern -day psychiatric law unit, with a special scientific direction and six, in the psychiatrist, psychiatrists, who will soon increase in nine, under his responsibility. 2nd Regional Mental Health Services Network of the Ministry of Health. We have already announced, in collaboration with the Ministry of Citizen Protection, the creation of a women’s nursing unit at the Thebes Penitentiary Store and will be followed by a special nursing unit for minors in SK Avlona or Volos.

When the Court (after special expertise) considers that the perpetrator lacks the ability to impose, then he ceases to be criminalized against him (Art 34 CC), that is to say, the usual therapeutic measures (Art 69 BC), as defined by the Law, either in special sections of ‘incompetent’ (as in the former KNT), or in their usual psychiatric clinics Multipurpose Psychiatric Units (formerly PNA and “Dromokaitio”) and General Hospitals. International patients’ rights protection conventions are clear on it.

Of course, in this case these cases need special treatment, that is, specialized training of medical staff. This is foreseen in our country (three -month education in psychiatric law on the specialty) but unfortunately it is not implemented to the extent that it should be, due to the lack of adequate special therapeutic centers. Only the University Psychiatric Clinics of the country and the special department of “unknowingly” incidents in the former Thessaloniki Psychiatric Clinic (which of course has the usual nature of a common psychiatric clinic).

In order to deal with this need to train physicians, we are already organizing, in direct complicity with the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Citizen Protection, the training of specialized psychiatrists in the prison shops across the country. For the equally necessary training of all adult and minor mental health services, we mature for a special education program in psychiatric law.

The creation of the National Mental Health Services Network, which has been operating for a few weeks since the beginning of February 2025, will substantially and radically change how these patients care. The reform finally gives, after decades, the possibility of the full modernization of old psychiatrics, the recruitment of specialized staff, and the creation of clinics of medical hospitalization with psychiatrics, as well as specialist psychogetic units. A need, which was one of the main causes of legislation of Law 5129/24.

This is planned in conjunction with a large increase in moods in the Multipurpose Nursing Units of EDYYY, but also, where possible, in the Psychiatric Clinics of General Hospitals. In this case, the Technical Chamber of Greece of the respective studies and actions has already been agreed upon to use the NSRF and the Department of Development Program of the Ministry of Health. In addition, the creation of a single “psychiatric law”, a legal person who will evaluate, supervise and standardize the respective special treatment, education and expertise services.

Three decades after its onset, psychiatric reform, and in this extremely sensitive area of ​​psychiatrics, enters the phase of substantial implementation. “