WRITTEN QUESTION E-2358/99 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Care provision and supervision in psychiatric hospitals.
18. 7. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 203 E/167 Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission (17 December 1999) The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written question n E-2042/99 by Mr SacrØdeus (1). (1) See page 121. (2000/C 203 E/215) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2358/99 by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission (13 December 1999) Subject: Care provision and supervision in psychiatric hospitals At the Santa Maria della Pietà psychiatric hospital in Rome, two in-patients have recently suffered serious injury (leading, in the case of one of them, to permanent disablement) following a fight which broke out in the absence of adequate supervision by specialist hospital staff. In December 1998 the judge in charge of the investigation rejected the complaint lodged by the families of the injured patients against the authorities responsible for safety and supervision on the wards of the hospital in question and called for the case to be dismissed. In the light of the above fact: ü does the Commission not think that the lack of care (to which the serious physical consequences of the fight must inevitably be attributed) constitutes a violation of the patientís dignity and of his inalienable rights as an individual and also indicates a lack of attention to the most basic needs of sick people who (especially since they are patients on wards specialising in criminal psychiatry) are in need of greater care and supervision? ü do the circumstances described above not indicate that the families of the patients concerned should consider applying to the Court of Justice of the European Union in order to have the matter investigated further? Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission (1 February 2000) The Commission has no jurisdiction to deal with the question asked, which is a matter solely for the national authorities concerned. (2000/C 203 E/216) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2364/99 by Hans Kronberger (NI) to the Commission (1 December 1999) Subject: Bohunice nuclear power station According to reports in the Austrian media, a study commissioned by the Austrian government from the University institute for risk assessment into safety at the Bohunice power station in Slovakia reveals that Slovakia has apparently misinformed not only Austria but also the European Commission. The study also indicates that the planned upgrading measures, on the basis of which Slovakia justified its postponement of the closure date from 2006 to 2008, have not been fully implemented. Among other things, defects representing a threat to public safety have been located in the reactor core areas of both units