National Psychiatric Institute to be fully refurbished
The government has decided to refurbish the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology (OPNI) and its park, Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said on Saturday.
Located in the picturesque Buda hills, the prestigious institute was opened in 1868. It has a chapel with stained glass windows made by Miksa Roth which survived WWII. In the park stands a tree planted by Elisabeth, the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph, known also as Sissi.
OPNI, the largest mental institution of the country, was closed in 2007 as part of the government’s health reform programme.
In line with the current government decision, the 39,000sqm institute will be fully renovated to serve as an educational institute with halls of residence, Mihaly Varga said on Facebook.
The facility will remain in state ownership, he said.
