Ombudsman’s Office reveals violations of military and children’s rights in Volovets hospital in Zakarpattia region. PHOTOS
In Volovets hospital, the monitoring group of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in Zakarpattia region found violations of the rights of servicemen and children to healthcare and proper medical care.
The office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in the Zakarpattia region reported this on Facebook, Censor.NET reports.
Violations of the rights of military personnel
As noted, violations of the rights of servicemen to health care and proper medical care, who were treated in Volovets Hospital after being wounded, were discovered at the end of September 2024. These include violations in nutrition, living conditions and the implementation of government programmes.
Poor quality, unbalanced diet
Only 49 UAH per day was allocated for meals for one soldier, and only 24 UAH for a civilian. The menu completely excludes fish and any meat other than chicken, which contradicts the norms of medical nutrition provided for by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 426.
Unfit conditions of stay
The wards for the military need major repairs and windows need to be replaced. There are no equipped sanitary rooms: to relieve themselves, wounded and disabled defenders are forced to go down to another floor to the emergency room with the help of other patients.
Poor implementation of the state programme of free dental prosthetics and treatment for defenders
It was established that all military personnel need dental treatment and dental prosthetics, but the hospital did not provide them with information about the state programme of free treatment, despite the fact that the hospital has an agreement with the NHSU as part of this project. The dental department is neglected, the equipment is outdated, and doctors are forced to buy materials at their own expense.
"At the end of September, the head of the Volovets community and the head of the hospital assured that within two months they would overhaul two wards for the military, as well as provide proper food and medical care. However, during the repeated monitoring visit on 13 December, the Representative of the Ombudsman in Zakarpattia region found that no obligations, except for the change of food, had been fulfilled," the Ombudsman's office said.
As noted, the military remain in abandoned wards, and information about state treatment programmes has not been provided.
"We have again identified a serviceman who needs immediate dental treatment and prosthetics for as many as 22 teeth, but he has not been informed about the possibility of free dental treatment in the hospital," the representative office said.
Violations of children's rights
Violations of the rights to healthcare and proper medical care in the children's ward were revealed.
For example, patients are forced to buy medicines at their own expense, despite the fact that the medicine for which the doctor has written a prescription for purchase in a private pharmacy is on the National List of Essential Medicines and is provided free of charge.
It was established that the drug was available in sufficient quantities in the hospital, and its purchase price was 194 UAH per pack of 10 vials. At the same time, a private pharmacy located directly in the hospital offers the same drug at a price of more than UAH 500, which is significantly higher than the actual cost and violates patients' rights.
It is noted that the conditions for the children's stay were found to be unfit: the windows have significant drafts and need to be replaced, the walls are torn, the bathrooms are not equipped, the linoleum is torn, which makes it impossible to create a comfortable microclimate for the children's treatment.
The Ombudsman's office called on the leadership of the community and the medical institution to take immediate steps to ensure proper conditions of stay and treatment in the Volovets hospital.
