Doctor fired from hospital in Slonim for criticising authorities

Doctor Ivan Sheha's employment agreement, which was prolonged a month ago, has been terminated.

Viktar Marchyk and Ivan Biadko from Slonim applied to the Slonim district executive committee for holding a picket in the city centre on June 27 to protect trauma surgeon and civil activist Ivan Sheha, Viasna human rights centre reports.

Doctor from the Slonim central hospital Ivan Sheha, 60, has worked in the Slonim district hospital for 30 years. He is a qualified doctor known to all residents of Slonim and neighbouring districts. On April 24, Ivan Sheha received a letter from chief of staff of the central hospital Yury Piatselski saying that the employment agreement with Sheha would be prolonged for a year from June 28, 2013, to June 27, 2014.

The Slonim central hospital suffers from lack of staff. One need to make an appointment with a neurologist or a urologist a month before the visit. Slonim also has problems with trauma surgeons. Two specialists recently moved to Kalinkavichy. Young university graduates work two compulsory years and leave the town. On May 21, Ivan Sheha received a new letter form Piatselski saying that he would be dismissed on June 27 after expiration of his employment agreement in accordance with article 35 of the Labour Code of Belarus.

This decision of the chief of staff of the Clonism central hospital doesn't meet interests of Slonim residents. A picket was supposed to support Ivan Sheha.

A campaign has been launched to collect signatures for collective appeals to the Slonim district executive committee, the Hrodna regional executive committee, the Ministry of Healthcare of Belarus and the presidential administration. People ask not to deny them of the opportunity to visit an experienced doctor whom they trust and know for many years. Slonim residents already collected 250 signatures and sent appeals.