What violations are detected in anti-tuberculosis institutions in Kazakhstan
Despite the significant development of medicine in recent decades, tuberculosis remains an urgent problem for the healthcare system of Kazakhstan. The high danger makes it one of the main socially significant diseases in our country, which imposes a high responsibility on special medical institutions.
At the same time, monitoring of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) shows that serious (usually the same) violations concerning sanitation and hygiene, completeness of medical care, nutrition, communication with the outside world, as well as the technical condition of buildings of medical institutions are allowed in this area from year to year.
For example, in 2019, NPM participants visited 20 institutions for the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis. As a result of monitoring, it was revealed that not everywhere citizens can get the help of a psychologist, a phthisiologist-psychiatrist, a psychiatrist, a gynecologist, an endocrinologist and a hepatologist. There was also a complete lack of social rehabilitation of patients in anti-tuberculosis organizations, which ultimately gives a negative multiplier effect when a person is discharged from the institution.
It is worth noting that one of the new problems is often the tense relationship between patients and security. Thus, patients of the Rudnensky department of the Kostanay Regional Tuberculosis Dispensary complained about the use of force, rudeness and extortion against them.
For their part, the staff of the institution (nurses) complain about threats from patients. Thus, there is a serious problem that could potentially arise in any other region, and therefore requires close attention from both human rights defenders and the leadership of special institutions.
As another significant problem, the NPM participants note the absence/underdevelopment of the rehabilitation direction in the therapy of patients in the visited institutions. Thus, the system of psychiatric care in mental hospitals, despite significant improvements at the legal level, remains outdated, aimed at controlling, restraining, limiting and isolating patients. Against this background, the lack of interest classes and passive pastime significantly aggravate the situation, leading to further degradation of personality, loss of social, household and other life skills.
Based on the results of the monitoring, the NPM participants sent specific recommendations to the management of special medical institutions to eliminate the identified violations. It remains to be hoped that over time the work of human rights defenders will find an increasing response in this area, which will ultimately significantly improve the situation of citizens with tuberculosis.