On May 19, 2014, a “Hot Line” began to work on issues related to the possibility of the presence of parents with a child in intensive care. Thus, the Charitable Foundation for the Development of Palliative Care for Children and the Charitable Foundation for Children with Organic CNS Lesions “Galchonok” took the first step towards solving one of the most pressing problems – to allow parents to be close to the child in the most difficult moments for him.
By calling the Hotline +7 495 648 96 98, parents will receive answers to the most common questions regarding the joint stay with a child in intensive care. “There is a contradiction in the legislation – on the one hand, the stay of parents is allowed, on the other hand, it depends on the rules of a particular medical institution,” says Ekaterina Kuzmina, director of the Galchonok Charitable Foundation. – Parents are trying to get to the child in intensive care, but for various reasons they are not allowed. We want to collect information about situations and difficulties and bring them to uniformity in order to understand how the current practice can be changed. Parents should have a guaranteed opportunity to be with their child in intensive care! In addition to collecting information, we are ready to provide assistance to all those who need it: our volunteers — a psychologist and a lawyer — who answer difficult questions.”
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The line capacity is 100 calls per day. The result of the first days of work: the majority of those who called asked the question “What needs to be done to be allowed to see a child?” The only possibility is to negotiate with doctors by appealing to the law. What kind of patients are we talking about? And about those who went to the hospital urgently, for example, due to an accident, and about those who end up in intensive care from time to time, due to a serious illness. Although, according to experts, such children should not be in intensive care at all. “Palliative care specialists often talk about the fact that seriously ill patients should spend more time in hospices,” confirms Ekaterina Kuzmina. – Moreover, home ventilators are now actively used, thanks to which the child can stay at home, and not in intensive care. If our work resonates, we will consider keeping the line running forever. Everything will depend on the needs.” In the meantime, based on the data obtained during the work of the Hotline, a special memo for parents will be published in the summer. We wish them good luck – it is possible to adjust the performance of the legislative framework only if a sufficient amount of material is collected: stories, signatures, messages.
Controversy in the law
Article 51 of the Federal Law “On the Fundamentals of Protecting the Health of Citizens in the Russian Federation” dated November 21.11.2011, 27 states the following: “One of the parents, another family member or other legal representative is granted the right to free joint stay with the child in a medical organization when providing him with medical care in stationary conditions during the entire period of treatment, regardless of the age of the child. When staying together in a medical organization, in stationary conditions with a child until he reaches the age of four years, the payment for the provision of a bed and meals from these persons is not charged. That is, according to the law, there are no restrictions on the stay of a parent in intensive care. However, Article 51 of the same law states: “Citizens undergoing treatment are required to comply with the treatment regimen, including those determined for the period of their temporary disability, and the rules of patient behavior in medical organizations.” Accordingly, visiting the intensive care unit depends on the rules adopted in a particular medical institution, which is clearly contrary to Article XNUMX.