Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Parliament to address mental health

Photo: Facebook/Mental Health

With 137 votes in favour, the National Assembly has set up a temporary committee to protect the rights of the mentally ill. 

The committee will examine violations found in the country by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment at the end of March this year, as well as those reported by the Bulgarian Ombudsman. 

Legislative amendments are being prepared. The sponsors of We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria aim to abolish compulsory detention and deinstitutionalise mental health institutions. "Obviously, the authors have no idea what compulsory detention under the Mental Health Act is - on what occasions, when, how and in what way it is imposed," said Branimir Balachev of GERB.

The European Committee report said that patients complained that orderlies shouted at them and hit them, that rooms were often overcrowded and conditions in wards were distinctly prison-like, and that staffing was grossly inadequate.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Daisy Lang (right)

The first Bulgarian woman in world boxing Daisy Lang helps victims of the fires in Los Angeles

The first Bulgarian woman in world boxing and three-time world champion Desi Kirova, known as Daisy Lang , refused to be evacuated from the fire that has been raging for days in Los Angeles , and with her husband by her side - Taylor, joined the battle..

published on 1/19/25 6:45 PM
President Rumen Radev at the Snowboarding World Cup in Bansko

The President expects the new government should uphold the national interest

"My relations with the new government depend on how it will uphold the national interest and how it will work so that Bulgarians have much better living conditions, and our country - conditions for development". This was stated to journalists in Bansko,..

published on 1/19/25 6:05 PM
Ivaylo Ivanov

Controversy over the appointment of the head of the political cabinet of the Minister of the Interior

Deputy Chairwoman of the GERB-SDS Parliamentary Group Denitsa Sacheva defended the decision of the new Minister of the Interior Daniel Mitov to appoint Ivaylo Ivanov as the head of his political cabinet. Ivanov was dismissed from the post of Secretary..

published on 1/19/25 4:15 PM