Turkey using electric shock 'torture' on patients....

[merlin]

Ireland on-line HERE

Click here for info on where the post came from HERE

Patients in Turkish psychiatric hospitals are held down and given electric shock treatment without anaesthesia, a Washington-based human rights group has said, calling the practice a form of torture and urging the European Union to demand an end to it.

The report by Mental Disability Rights International comes as Turkey sets sights on negotiations to join the European Union, talks that will include discussions of the country's human rights record.

The report said there were other abusive situations, including patients dying of starvation due to neglect and said that people with mental or psychiatric disorders are ”subjected to treatment practices that are tantamount to torture”.

A delegation from the group will meet Turkish officials in Ankara today to discuss the report, Laurie Ahern, associate director of the group, said.

“In the short term we would like them to stop the most egregious human rights abuses that we found,” Ahern said yesterday. “The most egregious one is ECT (electroconvulsive shock therapy) without anaesthesia and that could virtually be stopped overnight.”

The report said that patients were subjected to electric shocks without anaesthesia or muscle relaxants and that electric shocks were used as a form of punishment.

Ahern said that in some places patients were dragged into a room and held down by two or three people while they were being given electric shock.

“Without anaesthesia ECT is torture,” she said.

The Health Ministry had no immediate reaction, but the head of Turkey’s largest psychiatric hospital, the government-run Bakirkoy Psychiatric Hospital, defended the practice.

Musa Tosun said that 40 to 60 people undergo electric shock treatment at the hospital every day.

The report quoted the head of the ECT centre in Bakirkoy as saying that “patients with major depression feel that they need to be punished. If we use anaesthesia the ECT won’t be as effective because they won’t feel punished.” The official was not further identified.

Meanwhile, Turkey will not send its delegation to Luxembourg to open EU accession talks before officials see the document detailing the bloc’s negotiating positions, the Turkish foreign minister has said.

“No one expects us to go to Luxembourg before seeing the negotiation framework document,” Abdullah Gul, who is scheduled to head the delegation, said yesterday.

“Of course there is a possibility that negotiations will not start,” Gul said, but he added that “there are intense efforts” to bridge differences.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, returning from an official visit to the United Arab Emirates late yesterday, also played down tensions, saying: “I don’t think it’s a very serious problem.”

[Navan]

I think this is appaling but Turkey is not the only country to do this inhumane act. I think we are going to hear worse stories than this all because Turkey is trying accession talks.



Anna

[Mighty Quinns]

I agree with Anna that is just barbaric,why do people have to be so inhumane.

[shirleyanntr]

That is sickening.
unfortunately there are many places in the uk that are not much better. im thinking of some places where people are defenceless whether by age sickness or handicap. The thing is that places where the facilities are low and staffing levels are insufficient for the demands of the work bad practices are all too easily adopted.

[tommy]

I would like to point out that i am Tommys wife.
NEVER BEFORE HAVE İ FELT THE NEED TO POST ON THİS SİTE BUT THESE COMMENTS SERİOUSLY NEED TO BE ADDRESED.

I am a staff nurse in a psychiatric hospitals in izmir.ege university.
I have worked there for twenty five years.

I have many friends both doctors nurses who work there and we are disgusted with this accusation....

They would like to invite anybody around the wards.for a guided tour.
This is absolute rubbish..
please get your facts right before qouting newspaper articles.

We the staff and personnel of ege university hastane would welcome and invite the author of this nonsense to some free treatment?
YOU ARE SICK.

[Dippey]

Look at the latest results from the country holding the current presidency for the EU at the moment (UK). And how do they get round the treatment, they get you to sign the non-neglience form that you always have to sign beforde any treatment nowadays.

""Only one third of the clinics in England and Wales were rated as good.
ECT involves delivering electric shocks to the brain.
The electric current can provoke a fit or spasm, but also appears to have a beneficial impact on mental illnesses such as depression.
ECT has been used for more than 60 years, and was long treated with great suspicion. Some patients have died after receiving treatment, and others have suffered complications such memory loss.
But modern techniques are greatly refined, much safer and estimated to be effective in 70-80% of cases.
Approximately 22,000 people receive ECT treatment in the UK every year.
Professor Robert Kendell, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: "ECT is a highly effective treatment and the evidence is very strong. ""

and then you have to hope that they are properly trained.!!

[Lynda]

ECT is a very inflamatory subject and has been for many years. I trained in psychiatry in the UK in 1972. I have seen and participated as a student in this treatment and found it very unsettling. The discussion on its merits and detirments could go on for ever. Its use in the hospitals I worked in was radically reduced in the last 15 yrs.I for one would not recomend it for anyone.. In my experience it has a limited success rate but that is only my experience.
What I feel I have to comment on is the statement "The report quoted the head of the ECT centre in Bakirkoy as saying that “patients with major depression feel that they need to be punished. If we use anaesthesia the ECT won’t be as effective because they won’t feel punished.” The official was not further identified." I have never seen such bull*** written about a mental illness hopefully this man was misquoted or wrongly translated. No one suffering with depression should feel like they are being punished, irrespective of what they are feeling. Mental health care is about supportive care giving... not punishment. I have to stop or I am in the danger of getting on my soap box and boring everyone suffice to sday I just cannot believe what has been quoted, perhaps (hopefully) the offical involved is the floor cleaner with no impact on the care given to a psychiatrically ill person!!!
I know the practice of psychiatry has some way to go here in Turkey before we could actually call it mental health treatment. Mental Iillness is often misunderstood in European countries never mind here.. but I do know thru contacts here and back in Uk Turkey's nursing and medical proefession are undergoing continuous education and improvement. Nurses in Izmit and Ankara are ivolved in european associations for improvemnt in teaching and care giving.
Bad medical preactices can be found the world over... look at Greece only 15 yrs ago. Changes can and will happen, hopefully before any more poor unfortunates have to suffer the practice of ECT

[VWBug]

Originally Posted by merlin

Ireland on-line

Patients in Turkish psychiatric hospitals are held down and given electric shock treatment without anaesthesia, a Washington-based human rights group has said, calling the practice a form of torture and urging the European Union to demand an end to it.

The report by Mental Disability Rights International comes as Turkey sets sights on negotiations to join the European Union, talks that will include discussions of the country's human rights record.

The report said there were other abusive situations, including patients dying of starvation due to neglect and said that people with mental or psychiatric disorders are ”subjected to treatment practices that are tantamount to torture”.

A delegation from the group will meet Turkish officials in Ankara today to discuss the report, Laurie Ahern, associate director of the group, said.

“In the short term we would like them to stop the most egregious human rights abuses that we found,” Ahern said yesterday. “The most egregious one is ECT (electroconvulsive shock therapy) without anaesthesia and that could virtually be stopped overnight.”

The report said that patients were subjected to electric shocks without anaesthesia or muscle relaxants and that electric shocks were used as a form of punishment.

Ahern said that in some places patients were dragged into a room and held down by two or three people while they were being given electric shock.

“Without anaesthesia ECT is torture,” she said.

The Health Ministry had no immediate reaction, but the head of Turkey’s largest psychiatric hospital, the government-run Bakirkoy Psychiatric Hospital, defended the practice.

Musa Tosun said that 40 to 60 people undergo electric shock treatment at the hospital every day.

The report quoted the head of the ECT centre in Bakirkoy as saying that “patients with major depression feel that they need to be punished. If we use anaesthesia the ECT won’t be as effective because they won’t feel punished.” The official was not further identified.

Meanwhile, Turkey will not send its delegation to Luxembourg to open EU accession talks before officials see the document detailing the bloc’s negotiating positions, the Turkish foreign minister has said.

“No one expects us to go to Luxembourg before seeing the negotiation framework document,” Abdullah Gul, who is scheduled to head the delegation, said yesterday.

“Of course there is a possibility that negotiations will not start,” Gul said, but he added that “there are intense efforts” to bridge differences.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, returning from an official visit to the United Arab Emirates late yesterday, also played down tensions, saying: “I don’t think it’s a very serious problem.”

It is too bad you picked to Live in Turkey. This might be applied to you also some day. So stay away from the Turkish psychiatric hospitals

[tommy]

My wife could not have said it better VW.

If anybody would like a guided tour around ege university hastane(hospital)
We would only be to glad to willing to oblige.
The turkish hospitals can teach a thing or to the NHS.
At least you dont have to wait months for your results.
Remember there is no state stystem in turkey.

The managment and personnel at ege hastane(hospital) have noted these post.
And offered to give free treatment to who ever started this thread.
Now theres a offer of a free bed...and nurses to look after you.
what more do you want?

[Mushtaq]

This is an old topic, and unless you have something of value to add please do not open up old threads.

I do not know the source behind this article or the authenticity of the material, but I believe it was posted in good faith, and was discussed (the point of the forum).

Please keep your dislikes of other members OFF forum.

Topic is now closed.