Hernád Géza
photographer

• hernadgeza@gmail.com
• +36 20 914 29 84
• 1161 Budapest
• Szalmarózsa tér 8.
• Hungary

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© 2008 Hernád Géza

TTFF2355

Farewell to Leopold Field

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On 08/03/2007 The Hungarian Ministry of Health has made the controversial decision of shutting down the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology (NIPN) causing a serious political and professional debate. Protests were held, politicians of both sides fought together against the decision. The goverment was accused of being incompetent by the Orginization of Hungarian Psychiatrists, because they thought the Institute should stay together where it has been for more than 139 years, rather than divided between 7 other hospitals in a hasty reorganization. The goverment was also accused of simply making money out of selling the 70 acre estate which has a superb location in the 2nd district, one of the the most expensive places to buy property in hungary today. A cherished hungarian treasure the NIPN has provided great service to people with mental and neurological needs. It has a unique history which has witnessed the development of psychiatry for over a century and a half, and is a part of a cultural heritage which will soon be demolished. Forced by the Ministers, the NIPN had to put an end to medical attendance of new patients on 1/04/2007 and the process of gradually trasferring patients to other hospitals has started. Achileus(29) has spent more than 10 years in the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Hungary. He was diagnosed with serious personality disorder. Still his medication would allow him to leave the Institute for days, but his parents have left the country, so he spent nearly his entire life here on Leopold Field, where he gets hospital treatment. He has been a patient of Psychiatric ward number IV. till it has closed down on May 1 2007. Later he was transferred to ward number V. which was the last ward to shut down on 21/12/2007. Now he is a patient of the psychiatric ward at Ny Gyula Hospital.