The child and youth psychiatric rehabilitation department of the New St. John's Hospital and Outpatient Clinic of the North-Central Buda Center is located in the former Járitz Villa at 14 Baba Street. The aim of the investment is to provide complex treatment for children aged 8–16 in one place, said Miklós Kásler, Minister of Human Resources, at a press conference on the development. Thus, in addition to the existing twenty-five rehabilitation inpatient beds, twelve full-time hospital beds will be established and the outpatient capacity will be doubled by 32 specialist and 120 non-specialist hours.

The modernist (Bauhaus) style villa, which houses the new department, was built between 1941 and 1942 according to the plans of the car dealer István Járitz József Fischer. The premises of the villa were licensed for use in 1943: on the ground floor and upstairs there were luxury apartments, and on the basement level there was a janitor's apartment, a garage, a shelter, and utility rooms.

The Járitz Villa in 1942 (Source: National Museum of Architecture)

During the siege of Budapest, a house was hit by a bomb, the family renovated it, and its floor area also increased significantly. The villa was nationalized in 1950, converted into a hospital, its architecture with airy lines was incorporated, and the visible support pillars were removed. The Respiratory Rehabilitation Department of St. John's Hospital operated in the house until 2018, and now the child and youth psychiatric rehabilitation department will be located here, which will be formed from HUF 1.26 billion.

Miklós Kásler mentioned in the briefing that the closure of the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology (OPNI) has caused a great shortage in psychiatric care, and they are trying to rebuild this system in “small steps”. The current location of the department in the 2nd district Ali Street was expanded in 2020. The current development takes place in the immediate vicinity of this plot.

Villa at 14 Baba Street today (Photo: googlemaps.com)

Csaba Gór, leader of the Fidesz faction of the district local council spoke about the continuous improvements in the health care in Buda. Contrary to the criticisms of the opposition, in the 2nd, 3rd and 12th district, about 70 billion forints of health development has been completed since 2014, the pro-government politician said.

Source: MTI

Cover photo: The child and youth psychiatric rehabilitation ward of the New St. John's Hospital and Clinic of the North-Central Buda Center will be located in the Járitz Villa (Photo: Tér és Forma, No. 1943/7)