Oncological treatment will now also be possible in private clinics.
Modern.az reports that the issue is reflected in the draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on amendments to the laws 'On the Protection of Public Health' and 'On Oncological Assistance', which was discussed at today's plenary session of the Milli Majlis.
According to the amendments, the restriction of oncological services solely to state medical institutions will be removed.
Currently, according to the requirements of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan 'On Oncological Assistance', oncological services are provided only by state medical institutions specialized in this field. Medical assistance to oncological patients who are citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan is provided in state medical institutions at the expense of the state budget. At the same time, the state ensures the establishment of specialized medical institutions that carry out the dispensary observation, examination, treatment, and rehabilitation of oncological patients, and strengthens their material and technical base.
According to the legislation, treatment and diagnostic assistance to oncological patients is provided upon individual request or referral from a treatment and prophylactic institution in specialized oncological institutions, and these services are financed from the state budget.
However, although Article 24 of the Law 'On the Protection of Public Health' stipulates the patient's right to choose a doctor and treatment institution with their consent, according to existing rules, oncological assistance can only be provided in state institutions. This, in turn, leads to the de facto restriction of the patient's right to choose.
According to current legislation, if any private medical institution provides oncological services, this activity is considered unlicensed and leads to liability. On the other hand, the large number of oncological patients in the country and the fact that treatment is carried out solely at the expense of the state budget lead a number of citizens to seek treatment abroad. However, there are private medical institutions equipped with modern equipment and staffed by qualified doctors within the country.
For this reason, it is proposed to amend the legislation to grant private medical institutions the right to provide oncological assistance in accordance with the requirements of the Law 'On Licenses and Permits'. According to the amendments, only private medical institutions holding a relevant license for oncological assistance will be able to carry out this activity.
As a result of the adoption of the draft, citizens will gain the opportunity to receive treatment in a state or licensed private medical institution in accordance with their will. This is expected to ensure the right of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as foreigners and stateless persons, to freely choose their treating physician and medical institution.
The draft was put to a vote and unanimously adopted.
