The psychiatric hospital of Hagia Sophia (Saratov) has the second name "Altinka". The popular nickname is associated with the location of the hospital on the mountain of the same name. The first hospital buildings were built in the 19th century, the profile of the institution has never changed. But the city has grown, and once the suburban clinic became part of the city landscape.
Doctor and builder
The Saratov Zemstvo decided to separate the Alexander Hospital from the clinic for the mentally ill in 1883. Samuil Ivanovich Steinberg was invited as the organizer, administrator and chief physician. Having been in Europe and having studied the experience of colleagues, Steinberg sought to create conditions for the cure of his wards, and not just their supervisory content. In Saratov at that time, a psychiatric department was working at the Alexander Hospital. Patient conditions were terrifying, and treatment methods today seem mocking. The new doctor repeatedly asked officials, but the results had to be expected for a long time. Only with the advent of patrons who donated money for the targeted construction of the clinic, there was a firm belief that patients would have a chance of recovery.
As a separate facility, the Saratov Regional Psychiatric Hospital began to be built in 1887. The land for the institution was bought near the village of Esipovka from the nobleman Sokolov, money in the amount of 24,800 rubles for the construction was received according to the will of Princess S. Shcherbatova, whose daughter was ill with mental disorders. Steinberg S.I. began construction in the spring of 1890. He went to the place of work, taking with him a group of patients. In autumn, the first wooden buildings were ready. Patients working at the construction site hibernated in these buildings, the transfer of patients from the city hospital took place in the spring of 1891, which was the year when the clinic’s history began.
Stone buildings
The number of patients was constantly increasing, there were not enough places. The psychiatric hospital of Hagia Sophia (Saratov) acquired stone buildings only in 1903. The architect and overseer of the work was V.K. Karpenko. The staff has expanded significantly. In addition to the director (Steinberg S.I.) and the assistant director (Lyass S. Ya.), The institution had three residents, a caretaker, nursing staff, maids, cooks and other employees.
Changes to the hospital came with the revolution of 1905, S. Steinberg did not find a common language with the new bureaucracy, came under repression. Severe experiences crippled his health, he died in 1909 and was buried in the hospital.
During the years of Soviet rule
Before World War II, clinic directors appointed people who were not related to medicine, but who were "class" correct. The duties of the head physician were carried out by people with specialized education, and therefore the changes had little effect on the patients. The clinic tried in those days to keep up with the times, using advanced technologies and methods of treating their special patients. For example, in the 20s they mastered malarotherapy, which has a beneficial effect on patients with progressive paralysis. In the second half of the thirties, insulinocomatosis and electroconvulsive therapy came into practice.
During the war years, most of the medical and medical personnel were called up to the front, some of the buildings were damaged. The number of patients only increased, even prisoners had to be treated.
Post-war years, through the efforts of the administration, the Sophia Psychiatric Hospital (Saratov) was constantly expanding, the number of beds was increasing, and a subsidiary farm was established. From 1954 to 1975, the efforts of the administration opened psychiatric hospitals, branches, and departments of psychiatry. New methods of treatment of various mental illnesses and abnormalities were introduced, active scientific work was conducted, conferences were held.
Modernity
In September 1991, there was a big celebration bringing together many doctors working in a city like Saratov. Hagia Sophia Regional Psychiatric Hospital celebrated its centenary. A scientific-practical conference was timed to coincide with the event and a collection of scientific articles was released.
In the early 2000s, a reform was carried out, as a result of which the drug treatment department, which had previously been hired in different hospitals on a rental basis, had become part of the hospital. As a result, the Center for Addiction was formed, for which a new premises was acquired. Since 2014, the Saratov psychiatric institution has become known as the “Regional Clinical Psychiatric Hospital of Hagia Sophia” (Saratov).
Institution Profile and Medical Services
Currently, the hospital includes nine buildings with the status of a monument of architecture of regional significance. The territory of the park zone occupies 40 hectares. The structure of the institution consists of 19 branches. About 8,000 patients receive qualified care annually. The hospital provides medical care in the following areas:
- Neuroses of various origins.
- Diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.
- Personality Disorders.
- All kinds of dependencies.
- Psychotuberculosis department.
- Military expertise.
- Examinations, examinations, including forensic psychiatric.
The hospital has medical and production workshops where patients learn new activities and undergo a course of occupational therapy. There is also a day hospital, the Center for Addiction. Everyone in need can ask for help and get it, for this the psychiatric hospital of St. Sophia (Saratov) also works. Contacts GUZ "OKPB":
- Telephone of the front desk + 7-8452-49-53-13.
- Telephone of the admission department of the addiction center + 7-8452-45-85-17, 45-85-19.
In 2004, the construction of an Orthodox church consecrated in honor of the Holy Martyr Sofia was completed. There is a Sunday school at the temple, which children and adults can attend.
Reviews
For more than 120 years, the psychiatric hospital of Hagia Sophia (Saratov) has been operating. Gratitude reviews were left by patients and relatives of those who received treatment. Each of them tells about quality care, the sincere participation of doctors and staff. Many doctors and nurses say personal thanks, mentioning professionalism, spiritual qualities and attentiveness to the needs and problems of difficult patients.
Negative reviews are written about the poor condition of the buildings, it is indicated that the premises have long been in need of repair. Many hospital visitors mention poor sanitation and unpleasant odors. Censure is caused by food, which is offered to patients in a stationary unit.
Helpful information
Address of the medical institution: S. Steinberg Street, building No. 50, psychiatric hospital of St. Sophia (Saratov). The phone number of the head physician’s office is + 7-8452-95-50-38, and the front desk is + 7-8452-49-53-13.