Organization of Patients' and Patients' Relatives' Rights

How it was established

Turkey is a developing country. And in this country there is a health system that almost insists on not developing.  This system is so inadequate that there is not a day passing by that in the news media we wouldn't hear stories about violations of health rights of people.

It is the bitter truth that almost anyone who happens to turn in for help or services at a public or private health institute criticizes, even rebels about many situtations and events that they end up facing.

It is possible to accept all these issues by accepting them as fate and to begin with hoping that by constitution, there is a government that takes the responsibility of enabling everyone to lead a life with physical and mental health, however, incapable of putting together all the necessary regulations. yet, perhaps, this would be far from the easy way out, but dreaming!

At this very point, figuring out that there is the need to do something about this and believing in the power of civil organizations we founded the Organization of Patients' and Patients' Relatives' Rights.

In order to gain our constitutional rights for a healthy life we joined our voices and power under the roof of an organization which in turn is yet another constitutional right.

HAYAD has been officially established as an enterprise in September 9, 1997 after an initial effort following the process of preparation.

Activities of HAYAD so far:

Among the future projects of HAYAD are education, awareness programs and application of patients' rights.

Naturally, HAYAD has two major targets as far as the Patients' Rights' are concerned:

HAYAD's First Major Target:

Eliminating violations of rights before they arise.

There has been several activities involving the accomplishment of this goal. We have put forward various awareness programs not only by arranging meetings about patients' rights but also by a few meetings organized especially by HAYAD itself. With this in mind, some of those meetings and programs can be viewed by clicking here.

We are of course, extending this target with the aim of expanding awareness of patients' rights via radio and television.

Additionally, HAYAD has organized "Awareness Meetings" where lawyers, deonthologists and medical people joined as speakers during the first saturdays every month since HAYAD was established. These meetings can be viewed by clicking here.

We feel the need for pointing out that due to the limited finances our group that stands solely by the support of our volunteers does not have a regular place to host meetints. For this reason, most of these meetings had taken place in the auditorium of Istanbul Medical Chamber, however, after a written warning of them, dated December 25, 1998, these meetings had been transferred to the meeting rooms of Istanbul Bar Association's Practice and Education center.

This meaningless and wrong decision of Istanbul Medical Chamber has been criticized in a news conference dated January 09, 1999.

Other than the above mentioned meetings and seminars that took place in 1997 the following has been accomplished:

• "A Minute Of Darkness For Eternal Light Campaign"

• Do Not Touch My Health Rights!", a theme that supports the above campaign via press news.

Upon the request of Ministery of Health the views have been stated for the foundation of the Patients' Rights Bill.

The records of the seminar, "Patients' Rights", that had been arranged by the Friedrich Ebert Organization were compiled into a book.

And common working grounds were seeked by contacting the Poland Patients' Rights Organization

HAYAD's Second Major Target:

To make sure that those whose rights are violated are able to seek justice through the means of LAW and arrive at satisfying conclusions.

Especially with this target one can guarantee that the first target is accomplished, for it will guarantee that any health institution and personnel will be more careful and professional in serving their patients only when there is an effective control mechanism.

In order to reach this goal, those applications that reached our organization have been reviewed and those who claimed and believed to be violated have been guided through which mechanisms to proceed in terms of seeking further in their fights. In the mean time, we have prepared a borchure informing these mechanisms, ways and means of seeking for our rights as patients and tried to make sure these brochures reach as many people as possible.

With the very same target some cases have been followed closely, some victims have been supported by HAYAD's members  at the courts, and news press statements have been issued as necessary.

A pleasing development that would enable us to be behind those who reckon they are violated has arised by a statement of the Ministry of Health in the beginning of 1999. According to this, the Ministry has offered our organization to be appointed at the "Patients' Rights Units" that are to be opened at Educational Hospitals in Istanbul.

Upon this, a preliminary protocol has been prepared and many meetings were made with the Provincal Health Directorates. However, early elections and a new government had caused a repetition of all these efforts!