Patients’ rights and duties

Health is one of the basic human rights, necessary for the fulfillment of other human rights. Patients’ rights are the main human rights and values. Our mission is to respect the rights of patients, in order to increase the quality of health services and to meet the needs of people who have entrusted us with their own health.

Hospital Plodnost undertakes the responsibility to inform the patients and their families about the rights and obligations, with full respect for the dignity of the patient’s personality.
This text was prepared in accordance with the Law on Protection of Patients’ Rights (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia No. 82/2008 and No. 12/2009; The European Patient Rights Report (Amsterdam, 1994); World Physicians Association Report on Patient Right (Bali, 1995).

Patient Rights

1. Providing equally accessible health services for all patients.

2. Creating a better model of cooperation between patients and medical staff.

3. Active participation of the patient in the process of medical care and treatment.

4. Fair procedure when choosing medical treatment, in conditions when there is a possibility for selection of the appropriate treatment by the health institution.

5. Opportunity for selection of a health worker and institution within the health system.

6. Ensuring control of the health system by determining the application of respect for patients’ rights.

7. Equal opportunity to protect the rights of all patients.

8. All patients in the Special Hospital “PLODNOST” have the right to be informed and the right to accept or refuse certain medical intervention.

9. As a patient you have the right in a comprehensible and appropriate way to be fully informed about:

• Your health condition,
• Course and procedure of recommended medical interventions,
• Possible benefits and risks of implementation. Failure to perform recommended medical interventions.

10. Patients have the right to request a second expert opinion on their health.

11. Patients have the right to accept or refuse a certain medical intervention, except in case when the delay or non-undertaking of it would endanger or cause temporary or permanent damage to their health and the health of other persons. For patients who are unaware, patients admitted to a health facility without their consent, patients who are legally incapacitated and minors, a statement of consent is signed by a parent, legal representative or guardian.

12. Without written consent patients can not be involved in scientific clinical research and medical teaching.

13. THospital Plodnost keeps a medical file for all patients. Patients have the right to inspect the file, to receive a copy of the data / documents in it, as well as to request their clarification. This right can be exercised with the written authorization of another person. In case of death of the patient, the spouse or extramarital partner, adult child, parent, brother or sister as well as legal representative or guardian has the right to inspect the medical file.

14. Patients’ personal and medical data are strictly confidential and kept confidential. Patient data may be passed on to another person, only with the written consent of the patient or if it is necessary for their medical intervention in another institution. For other types of processing (historical, scientific), for research or educational purposes, the data may be used without revealing the patient’s identity.

15. Patients have the right to receive information about their health in an understandable language. For that purpose, the services of an interpreter are available to the patients in the hospital.

16. Patient information is not stored in hospital rooms or other public premises, and staff do not disclose patient information to the public.

17. The information system containing patient data is supported by a security system accessible only to authorized hospital staff.

18. Patients should be informed of the name and surname of the staff caring for them, of their professional training and title in the hospital.

19. Patients have the right to professional contacts with persons from the health institution, the right to visit, receive / send mail and gifts, telephone conversations at their own expense, watching television programs in accordance with the House Rules, as well as using leave during weekend with the permission of a doctor, if their health condition allows it.

20. At his request, the patient may leave the hospital after giving a written or oral statement to two witnesses who will sign the statement of his request. This right may be restricted if leaving the hospital would be detrimental to the patient’s safety and health or to the safety and health of others.

21. Hospital Plodnost provides patients with privacy in performing medical interventions and in providing personal hygiene. They are performed in the presence of the persons necessary to perform the intervention.

22. Patients and their family have the right to be informed about the diagnosis, alternative treatments, planned procedure, expected positive results or possible complications when performing it by the doctor performing the intervention.

23. Patients have the right to write their remarks, suggestions and praise for the medical treatment in the hospital on the questionnaires or to personally inform the Counselor for the protection of patients’ rights.

25. All patients have the right to be protected from physical attack by hospital staff, other patients or third parties during their stay in the hospital. Security cameras with 24-hour monitoring are deployed at the strategic locations of the hospital. There are security guards at all entrances to the hospital and all visitors to the hospital are identified.

Pacient Duties

In addition to certain rights, each patient has his / her responsibilities during the stay in the hospital. Some of them behave as legal obligations, and some are derived from the House Rules of the hospital itself.

1. During the stay in Hospital Plodnost, the patients are obliged to respect the House Rules in the hospital, which are given to them for inspection and signature upon admission to the hospital.

2. Patients are obliged to provide accurate and complete data on their identity, address and health status, as well as to report any changes in personal data.

3. Patients are obliged to follow the advice of health professionals for care, treatment and rehabilitation and to take care of their health.

4. Patients are obliged to accept engagement, if it is part of the rehabilitation and resocialization in order to reactivate the social skills, as well as to actively cooperate with health professionals.

5. How patients should respect the professional and human dignity of the health workers and the entire staff of our hospital, as well as other patients.

6. All patients must meet their financial obligation to our hospital for the realized medical services.

7. According to the Law on Protection of Patients ‘Rights (Official Gazette of the Republic of North Macedonia No. 82/2008 and No. 12/2009), there is an Advisor for protection of patients’ rights in the hospital.

Patients can consult and receive legal advice and assistance in exercising and protecting their rights as a patient. The Counselor may be required to submit the Law on Protection of Patients’ Rights for inspection. The text of the law is also available on the website of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Macedonia. Macedonia – www.moh.gov.mk