Picket Against Increase In Prices For Helthcare Services Prohibited In Brest

The picket was supposed to take place in Soviet Street in the city center on February 3.

But Brest authorities did not allow holding the public event.

According to the answer signed by the first deputy chairman of the Brest executive committee Valery Laptseikin and addressed to the applicant Liudzmila Dzianisenka, the chairman of the Brest regional organization of the Belarusian United Left Party “Fair World”, the picket was prohibited because it was to be held in a place that was not defined by the city authorities as a place for holding mass events, the Human Rights Center Viasna informs.

An official from the Executive Committee noted that there were two such places in Brest – Lakamatyu Stadium and the ground near the scene in the park of soldiers-internationalists.

In addition, it was noted in Valery Laptseikin’s response that in the cases when mass events occur without the participation of the bodies of state power and administration, the organizers should add an agreement with Brest city hospital ambulance (to provide medical care during the event) and the company Kommunalnik (to carry out the cleaning of the territory after the action) to their statement.

The reason for the rally was the decision of the Ministry of Health, on the basis of which the maximum tariffs for diagnosis services, prevention and compulsory medical examination of citizens were increased. Liudzmila Dzianisenka believes that this decision contradicts the Constitution, namely Article 45, according to which citizens are guaranteed the right to health protection, which provides free treatment in public health facilities.