Will MOD sue doctors over sick draftees?
“Those guys are discharged from the army. They, in turn, file complaints with courts and get compensated”, says the office of the military prosecutor. Euroradio has overlooked the “political” diagnosis of Zmitser Khvedaruk, a young opposition activist drafted into the army, and attempted to study the case from the medical point of view.
Conscript Zmitser Khvedaruk ended up at the operation table just less than one month after the draft. The surgery was performed in the National Military Hospital.
“It took my some little time to recover from anesthesia, but I am feeling okay now”, Zmitser told Euroradio on the phone.
He does not like talking about which part of the body was operated. “Well, sorry, but I will not answer this question”, Zmitser says.
It turned out that the varicose veins were removed in the groin. According to Khvedaruk, he was diagnosed with varicose veins as far back as during the medicals in Clinic No 14 in Minsk. The diagnosis was recorded in his medical documents, but he was nevertheless drafted.
The varicose veins diagnosis indeed does not always ensure deferral of army service. The initial stage of the disease is detected in many adult Belarusians.
“There could be just one slight nuance, and you will be either fit for the military service or otherwise”, say doctors from the inter-district drafting commission No 3 in Minsk.
Respected Belarusian surgeon Eduard Lipen explains that varicose veins can lead to abrupt death. The thing is that if you have varicose veins, theoretically, there is a life-threatening situation. Under physical load which cannot be excluded in the army, a clot start moving and reach heart or lungs, causing immediate death”, he says.
Khvedaruk confirms that he was serving equally with the other soldiers. “We had runs, work-outs, push-ups, pull-ups. Besides, we did the cleaning or moving various things around”, he said.
Euroradio has asked Vyachaslau Ramenchyk, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, whether the ministry can sue doctors who examine conscripts neglectfully during check-ups.
Ramenchyk: “Yes, it can”
ERB: “Have you had such cases?”
Ramenchyk: “Not yet”.
Theoretically, Khvedaruk himself can punish the doctors. The office of the military prosecutor in Homel explained our radio that persistent soldiers usually complain themselves about drafting commissions and win court battles!
“Those guys are discharged from the army, and they sue doctors in court and get compensated”, said the office of the military prosecutor.
Khvedaruk intends to sue, Euroradio has learned.
“We have not filed a complaint yet but are now in the process of doing the paperwork”, he said
Photo by Nasha Niva
Conscript Zmitser Khvedaruk ended up at the operation table just less than one month after the draft. The surgery was performed in the National Military Hospital.
“It took my some little time to recover from anesthesia, but I am feeling okay now”, Zmitser told Euroradio on the phone.
He does not like talking about which part of the body was operated. “Well, sorry, but I will not answer this question”, Zmitser says.
It turned out that the varicose veins were removed in the groin. According to Khvedaruk, he was diagnosed with varicose veins as far back as during the medicals in Clinic No 14 in Minsk. The diagnosis was recorded in his medical documents, but he was nevertheless drafted.
The varicose veins diagnosis indeed does not always ensure deferral of army service. The initial stage of the disease is detected in many adult Belarusians.
“There could be just one slight nuance, and you will be either fit for the military service or otherwise”, say doctors from the inter-district drafting commission No 3 in Minsk.
Respected Belarusian surgeon Eduard Lipen explains that varicose veins can lead to abrupt death. The thing is that if you have varicose veins, theoretically, there is a life-threatening situation. Under physical load which cannot be excluded in the army, a clot start moving and reach heart or lungs, causing immediate death”, he says.
Khvedaruk confirms that he was serving equally with the other soldiers. “We had runs, work-outs, push-ups, pull-ups. Besides, we did the cleaning or moving various things around”, he said.
Euroradio has asked Vyachaslau Ramenchyk, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, whether the ministry can sue doctors who examine conscripts neglectfully during check-ups.
Ramenchyk: “Yes, it can”
ERB: “Have you had such cases?”
Ramenchyk: “Not yet”.
Theoretically, Khvedaruk himself can punish the doctors. The office of the military prosecutor in Homel explained our radio that persistent soldiers usually complain themselves about drafting commissions and win court battles!
“Those guys are discharged from the army, and they sue doctors in court and get compensated”, said the office of the military prosecutor.
Khvedaruk intends to sue, Euroradio has learned.
“We have not filed a complaint yet but are now in the process of doing the paperwork”, he said
Photo by Nasha Niva
