The Alcoholism Treatment Centre in Bratislava-Dúbravka – Its Establishment and Operation

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In post-war Czechoslovakia, as in other countries, alcoholism was one of the gravest social problems. In addition to medical interventions, legislative and organisational measures were needed to deal with this problem, including the creation of specialised facilities for the long-term treatment of alcoholics. AIMS: To shed light on the process of the establishment and shaping of the Alcoholism Treatment Centre of the Municipal Institute of National Health in Bratislava-Dúbravka and to analyse its activities over the period 1961-1966. METHOD: This work is based on the study and content analysis of original archive materials, especially those stored at the Slovak National Archive in Bratislava, as well as focused articles from the specialist literature of the period. The authors’ aim is to place the Alcoholism Treatment Centre in Bratislava-Dúbravka into the legislative and institutional developmental framework of the battle against alcoholism in Czechoslovakia and in Slovakia. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Since the attention of psychiatric clinics and departments was especially dedicated to the treatment of acute complications linked to alcoholism and other addictions, the establishment of specialised facilities for the long-term treatment of alcoholics was a very valuable step. The Alcoholism Treatment Centre of the Municipal Institute of National Health in Bratislava- -Dúbravka was founded in 1961 by Michal Turček, MD, who headed it until 1965. The centre, with a capacity of 25 beds, provided comprehensive healthcare to patients with an alcohol addiction. In addition to the inpatient care, the centre also included outpatient care with alcohol counselling and sobering-up centres. After the Treatment Centre closed in 1966, its inpatient section was transferred to the Regional Psychiatric Treatment Centre in Pezinok. Despite its short-lived operation, the activity of the Treatment Centre was considered to have made a positive contribution, and it represents a significant period in the development of the prevention and treatment of alcoholism in Slovakia.