Leros Psychiatric Hospital - Kρατικό Θεραπευτήριο Λέρου

Leros "Psychiatric Hospital". Filmed in 1995 by achilleasv.

The Asylum of Leros (Colony of Mentally Ill) was established in 1959, taking over the military installations left on the Greek island by the Italians from the Second World War.

The purpose was to contain all psychiatric patients from all Greek mental health instituitions, who were deemed untreatable, to one single confinement space.

The asylum grew rapidly as "difficult" patients were shipped to Leros and by the 1980s as many as 4,000 patients were held there.

Political prisoners had also been incarcerated there, during the military dictatorship in Greece (Greek junta 1967-1974).

The staff were not doctors or nurses and had no medical training. They were local islanders and were used as guards.
The inmates were systematically beaten, even tortured and crushed of whatever sensibilities they once had.

In the 80s Leros' asylum has received significant journalistic attention.

In September of 1989, the London Observer published details of horrific conditions at the Leros asylum, describing it a "concentration camp".

In 1990 the BBC filmed inside the asylum. The documentary "Island of Outcasts" (Channel 4) brought attention to these horrendous human rights abuses.
http://www.filmandsound.ac.uk/collections/records/0006-0000-1123-0000-0-0000-...

As Leros' conditions generally mirror those of the nation's other public mental hospitals, the last twenty years the psychiatric care system in Greece is undergoing a transformation of its service network, propelled to a great extent by recommendations and funding from the European Union. The new direction is toward deinstitutionalisation and a community-care approach.

However, twenty years since the beginning of the psychiatric reform in Greece, there is a threat for people with mental health problems to return in mental hospitals due to severe financial problems of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Units as the Greek Ministry of Health is unable to correspond to its obligations.

update:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8124976.stm

Category:

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Tags:

• Psychiatric
• Mental
• Hospital
• Asylum
• Institution
• Ward
• Reform
• Psychosocial
• Rehabilitation
• Deinstitutionalisation
• Deinstitutionalization
• Inmates
• Patients
• Human
• Rights
• Abuses
• Violations
• Observer
• BBC
• Leros
• Greece
• European Union
• Ministry of Health
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[MrRsmith1957]

achilleasvideo, I personaly like the music. It fits perfectly with the footage!

[achilleasvideo]

@MrRsmith1957 thanx :)

[jwe211272]

I hope whoever is singing in this clip checks themselves into this facility

[achilleasvideo]

@jwe211272, what do you mean? i choose this song for the clip (not the singer).

[CONANDTAM]

Leros is a Beautiful Island, got Married in Leros in 2008 at Agios Isidoros, which is located in the Agean Sea.

[achilleasvideo]

CONANDTAM

Yes, "agios isidoros" is a wonderful place. best wishes !

[kotopoulogamias]

kapou uparxei kolasi to onoma tis einai leros ekei e3ontonoun an8rwpous.......!!!!!!!!!

[hardcore13athens]

Lefteria stous anthropous!

[alexandersname]

mana ein theos gooogle tha se kanei kala mutseseta pontus

[tully5111helmets]

@CONANDTAM spent my honeymoon there ,and came back with a pregnant wife,regards from a irishman in denmark.tom.

[tully5111helmets]

had a look at this place while on honeymoon,creepy place.

[neil22100]

If someone is sectioned can it affect you from getting a job?