Cancer patients in Transcarpathia do not receive the necessary inpatient palliative care (PHOTO)

Violations of the rights of terminally ill people were recorded by a monitoring group consisting of employees of the Department for the Implementation of the National Preventive Mechanism of the Commissioner's Secretariat during an unannounced visit to the palliative-hospice care department of the Vynohradiv geriatric boarding house.

The department has been operating since April 2017 and is equipped with modern equipment for palliative treatment and care, the staff has received special training in palliative care. 

During the monitoring visit, there were only seven wards in the department, although the renovated three-story building is designed for 25 beds.

In order to get a job here, relatives or other persons need to collect a large number of documents (according to the order of the Ministry of Labor dated 12.29.2001 No. 549). For example, it can take up to 3-4 months for families to collect documents, and cancer patients and people with other somatic diseases do not receive the necessary medical assistance and care in a timely manner. And for single people, the issue of housing may never be resolved.

"There were such situations when people died at home without waiting for a referral from the regional department of social welfare," - claimed representatives of the staff and wards of the department.

During the visit, it was found out that out of seven patients in the ward, five were on a paid basis. And in the heating season, the cost of staying in the department is approximately UAH 9-10,000 per month.

"My daughters first signed a contract for payment of services. But since the cost of the stay increased every month, the family had to apply to transfer me to a free stay," said one of the wards.

The order of the Ministry of Health stipulates that palliative care is provided by health care institutions free of charge upon referral by the health care institution. Therefore, the functioning of the palliative department as part of the Vynohradiv geriatric boarding house (institution of social protection of the population) leads to the impossibility of patients receiving the necessary adequate and timely medical care.

"In Ukraine, there are many patients with terminal cancer who are in dire need of palliative pain relief and care in specialized institutions. But instead, these people suffer and die alone, and the patient's family solves the problem on their own. This is unacceptable when there is a 25-bed palliative ward in the region, with the most modern equipment and trained specialists, but in which there are only 7 patients, because it is almost impossible to get here," said Oleg Grigoryev.

According to the results of the visit, acts of response of the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for human rights will be drawn up and sent to the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Policy, it is stated on the website of the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights.

According to the materials of the website: http://zakarpattya.net.ua