Recently, one of the country's TV channels aired a news report claiming that the Sumy Regional Clinical Oncology Center keeps patients cut off from their relatives — more specifically, that they are not even allowed to make a phone call.
Importantly, the facility's management has not received any requests or complaints about these issues from the patients themselves or their family members. On the contrary, medical staff receive words of gratitude for prolonging Life.
To reassure its patients and their families, the administration of the Oncology Center officially states that these accusations are groundless and have no legal basis.
It is a great pity that the journalists in this report distort the facts and play at selective justice, while ignoring the moral and ethical guidelines of the Code of Ethics of Ukrainian Journalists. One of these norms is that facts, opinions and assumptions must be clearly separated from one another. Spreading information that contains bias or unfounded accusations is unacceptable.
Of course, taking in and making sense of information is an individual process; however, we consider it necessary to set out the legal basis for the position of the Oncology Center's administration regarding the alleged “strict regime” in the intensive care unit.
Article 287 of the Civil Code of Ukraine and clause “k”, part 1, Article 6 of the Law of Ukraine “Fundamentals of the Legislation of Ukraine on Health Care” guarantee a patient receiving inpatient treatment at a healthcare facility the right to be visited by other healthcare workers (persons engaged in medical practice according to their specialty and qualifications — part 1, Article 77 of the Law of Ukraine “Fundamentals of the Legislation of Ukraine on Health Care”), family members, a guardian, a custodian, a notary and a lawyer, as well as a member of the clergy to hold a religious service and perform religious rites.
There is a procedure for admitting visitors to patients in the intensive care unit, approved by Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 592 of 15 June 2016 “Procedure for Admitting Visitors to Patients Receiving Inpatient Treatment in the Intensive Care Unit” (hereinafter, the Procedure).
Accordingly, the Oncology Center has made the corresponding changes to the facility's internal documents, all patients are made familiar with the new rules, and the facility keeps visitors informed (information boards are placed near the entrance to the unit).
Under the Procedure, a patient being treated in the intensive care unit may be visited around the clock on any day of the week, with the exception of a number of restrictions related to preventing the spread of the acute respiratory disease COVID-19. The attending physician of the healthcare facility must inform patients and visitors about the visiting rules, as well as about other requirements that must be followed to ensure the safety and interests of patients.
The attending physician always obtains the contact details of family members from the patient in order to inform them about the course of the illness, the results of the surgery and other vital circumstances related to the patient's health, and makes it possible for the patient to make phone calls once they regain consciousness after surgery.
Thus, the law obliges a healthcare facility:
- to ensure that patients being treated in the ICU have the right to receive visitors 24 hours a day on any day of the week according to the rules set out in this Procedure;
- to inform patients and visitors about the visiting rules established by the Procedure, as well as about other requirements that must be followed to ensure the safety and interests of patients.
The Oncology Center complies with the requirements of Ukrainian law.
In view of the above, the administration of the Oncology Center urges patients and their visitors to exercise their rights without violating the rights of others.