Human Rights Commission: "Guidelines for Psychiatric Hospital Isolation and Facility Environment Must Be Improved"

National Human Rights Commission of Korea building. Photo by Human Rights Commission

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The National Human Rights Commission, which conducted an ex officio investigation into human rights violations in psychiatric medical institutions, recommended on the 8th that the Ministry of Health and Welfare revise the current 'Isolation and Restraint Guidelines' and establish facility environment standards for closed wards.

In January last year, the Human Rights Commission received reports of ongoing human rights violations against patients due to internal whistleblowing that multiple patients were being isolated without a specialist's order and due to poor facility conditions. Consequently, it conducted an ex officio investigation into psychiatric medical institution A.

During this investigation, the Commission confirmed that isolation and restraint were implemented on many inpatients without records of the person ordering, reasons, or duration of isolation and restraint. In particular, it pointed out that psychiatric medical institutions were using seclusion rooms for the convenience of patient management or as punitive measures for behavioral issues, based on the current Ministry of Health and Welfare guidelines.

Furthermore, the Commission confirmed that the closed ward of hospital A lacked sufficient lighting and ventilation facilities and had no outdoor space for walking or exercise. The Commission noted that prolonged hospitalization in such an environment increases the risk of weakened immune function and makes patients vulnerable to disasters such as fires and infectious diseases like COVID-19, potentially leading to mass infections and deaths.

Accordingly, the Commission recommended conducting a fact-finding survey on the lighting, ventilation, and airflow of wards and rooms in psychiatric medical institutions operating closed wards in densely populated urban buildings, focusing on the impact on the health of inpatients during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also recommended establishing minimum facility environment standards to guarantee the rights to life, health, and safety from emergencies or disasters for inpatients when opening closed wards in private psychiatric medical institutions in the future.