100 TB sick people went on hunger strike again in Vitsebsk region

The Bahusheusk region TB hospital (the Senitsa district, the Vitsebsk region) has burst into rebellion.

Patients are not satisfied with keeping conditions and treatment of medical workers towards them. There are 500 patients in the hospital, though it is designed for 250 persons, moreover, the department of 78 people, among then 24 women, have only one bathroom and a shower room, which are almost impossible to use, Radio Racyja reports.

67 people died last year due to insanitary conditions and bad food. Today 100 mentally handicapped people – 70 men and 30 women, who are infected with tubercule bacillus, are kept behind the bars in hospital and do not have proper nursing treatment. These 100 people have already imposed a hunger strike, the rest can join them at any moment.

The most active people, who complain openly, are discharged. Valer and Natallya Drabysheuskis, who have open tuberculosis, were discharged on 19 May.

According to Natallya, “rats and cockroaches are running in wards. One has to pull blanket over one’s head when sleeping to hide from them. The administration of the hospital doesn’t pay any attention to this.”

The Drabysheuskis, who have two minor children and may threaten the health of others, were discharged in contravention of legal and medical norms. Natallya Drabysheuskaya filed a complaint to the region prosecutor’s office and the health care department.

In the meanwhile, the Vorsha region prosecutor’s office refused to take the complaint of the Drabysheuskis against bad conditions in Bahusheusk hospital. Procuracy officers referred to the fact that Bahusheusk town belonged to the Sennitsa district, not the Vorsha one. The Drabysheuskis regard this decision to be incorrect, because they live in Vorsha.

It should be reminded that early in the year 150 TB sick people had hunger strike in Navaelnya hospital (the Dzyatlava district, the Hrodna region).