Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Language ombudswoman Ivanovska said that medical workers may refuse to serve Russian-speaking patients.
Language ombudswoman Olena Ivanovska stated that medical staff may refuse to service patients in Russian. At the same time, her remarks raised questions about whether law allows denying a person medical care because of the language of communication.
Ivanovska referred to the provision of language legislation stating that a service provider may serve a client in a language other than Ukrainian at their own discretion.
However, this provision concerns the choice of service language, not the right to refuse service. The law does not state that a medical worker may refuse a patient simply because the patient spoke Russian, if communication in Ukrainian remains possible.
At the same time, the work of medical workers is regulated by special legislation, which provides duties to provide assistance to patients. In particular, Article 139 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine establishes liability for failing to provide help to a sick person by a medical worker, if there are no valid reasons for it.
For such an offense, the penalty ranges from a restriction of liberty to imprisonment, depending on the circumstances and consequences. If failure to provide assistance caused a patient’s death, the liability is stricter.
Therefore, the right of a medical professional to choose the language of communication does not automatically grant the right to deny a person medical help because they used Russian. Language requirements and the obligation to provide necessary medical care should be considered separately.
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