21.04.2013The European Patients' Rights Day brought contradictory by physicians in the Veliko Tarnovo district
The European Patients' Rights Day was celebrated again on 18th of April in the Member States of the European Union. In Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Association for Patients Protection held a large-scale campaign. This year, Center Amalipe also joined in the initiative within the program for Community monitoring of healthcare services, which is conducted in several municipalities in the Veliko Tarnovo district by Center Amalipe. The goal of this day is to draw attention of all Governments and politicians in the Member States of the European Union, as well as service providers, to the fact that the rights of a patient should be properly defined in each country and are to be respected. The European Patients' Rights Day is celebrated since 2007 in Europe in order to guarantee and protect the rights of patients in the Union, and to focus the health policy on citizens.
Center Amalipe’s Community Development Centers in Veliko Tarnovo and Pavlikeni together with local clubs for development in Ledenik, Vodolej, Kaltinets neighborhood in Gorna Oryahovitsa, Batak, Varbovka, Biala Cherkva, and Stambolovo held a campaign which aimed to improve the dialogue between the citizens and the healthcare providers in their respective localities. This activity was a good signal to the doctors that people are interested in the rights of a patient and that they wish to discuss these issues with their doctors.
The community moderators and the local activists in the localities prepared posters with a sample of the European Charter of Patients' Rights.
(http://www.mh.government.bg/ForThePacient.aspx?pageid=482&home=true&categoryid=3665&articleid=3951). General practitioners in each of the villages, where the program for community monitoring of healthcare services is conducted, as well as the manager of the Hospital in Pavlikeni, got these posters as a symbolic present.
According to the manager of the Pavlikeni Hospital Dr. Krasteva, everyone has a right to medical assistance, though partial. She welcomed the symbolic gift and said that she is open for future joint activities. On this occasion, the Hospital together with the community moderators and Regional Health Inspectorate will seek options for locating mobile gynecological or mammography clinic/ laboratory on the territory of the Pavlikeni municipality.
However, the reaction of some other doctors whom moderators visited was quite different. Some of them accepted the initiative almost with derision and displeasure. This negative reaction, however, did not break the enthusiasm of local activists and they continue their activities directed to improving an access to quality health services.
In 2007, patients' organizations from the whole Europe together with the Active Citizenship Network decided to promote the celebration of the Day of Patients' Rights in order to speak more often and more constructively on such issues as the place of patients in health care, their rights, volunteering, and the abuses that occur in this sphere.
In Europe, this day is celebrated in a different way, in some countries different entertainments are organized, in others this day is celebrated with conferences and round tables.
In the photos:
Dr. Krasteva and community moderator Stefan Stefanov
Dr. Krasteva and community moderator Valentin Vasilev
Dr. Dimov and community moderator Sergei Sashev
