Patients' Rights

The Budapest Institute and the HCLU joined forces in preparing a proposal on the reform of issues concerning the intellectually disabled. Even though there are still 15.000 intellectually disabled and 8.000 mentally challenged individuals living in total institutions, Hungarian social policy did not even begin to work out action plans needed for the reform.

An agreement was reached between NGOs and the Hungarian Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour on a National Development Agency call for proposals. It was agreed that European Community funds can and must be used for the closure of long stay institutions and the establishment of family-scale housing. The goal is for disabled persons to become neighbors rather than anonymous residents in institutions.

The Doctors for Free and Safe Birth have issued a declaration regarding Home Birth. Read it!

On Home Birth Day the HCLU in an open letter ask that the Prime Minister facilitate the reassuring and competent settling of the domestic status of planned home births.

Albert Takács, Deputy Ombudsman of the Parliament has rejected the complaint of the HCLU's attorney in the matter of special healthcare for autists. The HCLU voices its outrage over the letter.

As we have reported, a client represented by the HCLU has recently started prodeedings against the Forensic Institute for the Observation and Treatment of the Mentally Ill (FIOTM), to have the courts determine: the FIOTM has violated his personal rights, when they placed him in an institution without a non-smoking ward and subjected him to unnecessary therapy.

HCLU examined statute-proposal number: T/1093 which is part of the health care reform plan submitted to Parliament by the Ministry of Health and found it rather disturbing on several points.

The petition made by Baltay Levente, advocat of HCLU's Legal Advocacy Service, against the Forensic Institute (IMEI) was found reasonable 1/3-2/3 by the Metropolitan Court, on the first instance.

On Tuesday the members of the parliament – 185 voting for, 137 voting against, 1 not voting- approved the amendment of the health law, according to which single women are entitled to participate in artificial insemination procedure in the future.

Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) and Védegylet welcome the announcement of the Ministry of Health. The Government will work out the frames of its responsibility in providing remedy for complications caused by obligatory vaccinations.