Important new website on protecting patients’ rights

In the light of the recent extraordinary measures planned by the Kharkiv authorities that will seriously curtail facilities for people with tuberculosis, a critical situation with affordable medicines caused both by the crisis and government half-measures, and much more, the need to defend patients’ rights is clear.

One such initiative – the website www.healthrights.ua  has been initiated with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. It is intended to facilitate effective cooperation between nongovernmental organizations, medical workers, patients’ associations, leading lawyers, journalists and members of the public, in order to protect patients’ rights in the area of healthcare.

The sections of the site give:

-  practical information about actions, recommendations and cases where patients were successful in upholding their rights;

-  legislative base together with standard forms of documents;

-  information for the media;

-  news on competitions, possible grants, studies, vacancies, roundtables, etc;

-  a library with articles, studies and books on protecting patients’ rights, as well as the contact information for where to turn to in each region for assistance.

The site also offers the opportunity to receive consultations online.