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

Posters advertising Bulgarian tourism awarded

The jury at the International Triennial of Stage Posters and the Ministry of Tourism awarded three equal prizes and 8 incentive prizes for tourist posters on the subject of “Bulgaria”. The jury, headed by Prof. Bozhidar Yonov, reviewed 144 posters..

published on 8/1/25 10:58 AM

Bulgaria and Great Britain are partners in combatting illegal immigration

President Rumen Radev expressed his appreciation of Great Britain’s support for Bulgaria in guarding the EU’s external borders. President Radev met with the British ambassador to Bulgaria Nathaniel Copsey, the Bulgarian news agency BTA reports...

published on 8/1/25 10:31 AM

Millionth passenger for 2025 welcomed at Burgas airport

Burgas airport welcomed its millionth passenger this summer season with an official ceremony. Steffi Kruspe, who landed on 31 July from Leipzig, said this was her first time in Bulgari and she would be spending one week in Nessebar with her family...

published on 8/1/25 9:40 AM