In order to improve the observance of patients' rights, the Saeima adopted in the third reading amendments to the Law on the Rights of Patients, on Thursday, 13 June.

According to the amendments, prior to the commencement of planned health care services, the service provider will be obliged to inform the patient about the costs of the services and the payment procedures. It is also specified that the head of the medical treatment institution is responsible for publishing information on the possibilities of receiving health care services and the payment procedures in the medical treatment institution. As the authors indicate in the explanatory note to the draft law, there are cases when the patient is informed about the need to make the relevant payment only after the treatment, thus creating a situation in which he or she may not be able to pay for the received services.

The right of patients to receive timely information about their health has also been included in the new provisions, according to which it shall be provided by the attending physician or other medical practitioners involved in the medical treatment in accordance with their competence. The attending physician may postpone the provision of information to the patient only in the case when it is reasonably expected that it could significantly endanger the life or health of the patient or other persons, the draft law says. According to the amendments, the information shall be provided in a form understandable to the patient, explaining the medical terms and taking into account the age, state of health, maturity and experience of the patient.

The law also tasks a medical treatment institution to ensure permanent presence of the lawful representative of the minor patient or another representative chosen by the patient or the possibility of support during medical treatment, if such presence does not interfere with the treatment and circumstances allow it.

It is also stipulated that a medical treatment institution must ensure the physical and mental well-being of a minor patient during medical treatment, the right to education, creativity and leisure activities in accordance with age, as far as possible. Medical institution will have to ensure the right of the minor patient to express his or her opinion on the health care, to make suggestions and complaints.

The amendments to the law establish that the patient has the right to such treatment, which is carried out only in the presence of persons who are directly involved in the treatment. It is also stipulated that the patient has the right to invite another person, provided that he or she does not interfere with the treatment. There are situations when a patient needs special physical and emotional support, for example, when learning about a severe or incurable disease, the authors of the draft law note.

If the patient does not speak the official language and speaks a language that the medical practitioner does not understand, the patient will have to provide the translation, except in cases where it is not be possible for objective reasons, say the amendments.

Saeima Press Service