News

3 May 2023

Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva sent a recommendation to the Acting Minister of Health, Dr. Asen Medzhidiev, that an inspection be carried out of the organisation of the work of the commissions and the conditions in the waiting rooms of Territorial Expert Medical Commissions (TELK) throughout the country, as well as regarding the rude and unethical treatment of people with disabilities.  

The Ombudsman's recommendation was prompted by frequent alerts from patients about the lack of basic conditions, such as chairs and benches in front of the offices of TELKs. Given that people with disabilities are concerned, the lack of such basic care and normal human treatment, in hospitals, is absolutely unacceptable and inadmissible, is the position of the Ombudsman. This is the second letter in a row from Prof. Kovacheva with a similar recommendation, after the institution was referred to some time ago, and the Ministry of Health took action on the specific signals of the Ombudsman.

The reason for this request of the public defender this time is an alert from Blagoevgrad, describing a particularly shocking case, which is why the Ombudsman is also turning to the director of Blagoevgrad Regional Health Inspectorate, Dr. Petar Ivanov, as well as to the executive director of Multiprofile Hospital – Blagoevgrad AD, Dr. Ognyan Mitev.

The alert comes from a citizen whose son was forced to wait for hours in order to be able to submit his documents to TELK. And then it turns out that his personal presence was not necessary.

The date for the 21-year-old boy to appear before the Commission was set for 28 April 2023 at 9.30 a.m., but in order to be on time, the mother and her son stood outside the office at 9.00 a.m., in front of which there was already a queue of 20 persons waiting, some of whom with overlapping hours. It also became clear on the spot that the examinations of patients with orthopedic, neurological and mental diseases were to be conducted at different hours.

In her alert to the Ombudsman, the woman is outraged that there are only 6-7 chairs in the waiting room, which forced the other patients to stand upright for hours. Among them was a child with autism and his father, with a severe herniated disc, another child with a mental illness, as well as more disabled people, in a condition not allowing them to stand upright for a long time. For this reason, people organised themselves and moved an empty bench that was in front of another office so that the most needy persons could sit. However, this led to a sharp remark from an orderly, and later a doctor intervened, insisting that the bench be returned to its place.

The submission of the documents for the applicant ended after nearly 5 hours - at 1 p.m. and it turned out that it was not necessary for the woman’s son to be present in person. Something she could have been warned about.

 “As a national Ombudsman, I would like to express my concern about the case and note that this is yet another alert of violated rights of people with disabilities and their companions, due to gaps in the organisation of TELK work. I believe that such treatment of people with severe disabilities, including children, is unacceptable, creates serious difficulties for them and damages their dignity,” the public defender writes.

Diana Kovacheva insists that a thorough investigation be carried out on the case and that, in the event of omissions and violations, the necessary actions be taken.

In the recommendation addressed to the director of Blagoevgrad Regional Health Inspectorate, in her capacity as a control body, and to the executive director of the hospital at which the TELK was conducted, to take the necessary measures in a short period of time to improve the organisation of the work of the commissions, so as to prevent a simultaneous waiting of a large group of patients, to shorten the citizens’ stay as much as possible, to provide a sufficient number of seats, as well as access to sanitary and other facilities for disabled people and their companions.