Silent victims

This site is dedicated to my son and all the other victims who have been abused, some even tortured and/or perished due to the wrongdoings in the hospitals in Estonia, the member state of European Union.

According to the 2010 study available at Tartu University website its estimated that around 1500 people die in just 1.3 million population Estonia every year due to medical errors - number that as experts claim could be quickly at least halved in case the doctors, health care leaders and government admit the problem and would take relevant steps to avoid it. The study was compiled at Tartu University by doctor Teele Orgse who is supervisor for quality at the hospital in Estonian town Pärnu. The need to start accounting more patients needs and rights was highlighted also recently in article by Estonian Hospital Association head Urmas Sule whose much more modern views differ sharply from still Soviet style minded buraucrats at Estonian Doctors Association that has ignored for long the need to deal with abuse and medical errors. (Read more also from Last News link above).

Patients rights are an essential part of human rights but not in an ex-Soviet country like Estonia. The Soviet era mentality still lives strong in Estonian health instutions and health quality, the country has even no patient rights law, and the most basic human rights of patients are often violated and ignored. The lack of responsibility and the feeling that criminal legislation is not valid for the medical staff in Estonian hospitals has long ago reached the point where it cant be tolerated any more.

UN names Liam Donaldson as Patients Safety Envoy

The head of the United Nations World Health Organization WHO appointed on July 21, 2011 Liam Donaldson of the United Kingdom as its envoy for patient safety to help mobilize support on the issue among donors, philanthropic organizations and governments. “With this nomination, WHO is signalling the importance of ensuring that patients get safe, high quality health care all around the world,” said Margaret Chan, the WHO Director-General, announcing the appointment in Geneva. Great step!

Fatal mistakes, organ hunters

Estonian weekly Pealinn, published in capital, had an horrific story in May 2011 about young woman Milana Kashtanova from Estonia whose father told the newspaper how some Estonian doctor expressed his view the family should think about giving up her organs, claiming she has no chances. The family that managed to take Milana to Germany has prooved how wrong the Estonian doctors were once again - after treatment in Germany she became awake and regained also ability to speak, recovering step by step. In August 2011 Milana was taken back to Estonia and instead of Tallinn hospital that declared her hopeless is at the Tartu University hospital that differs like a day and night from the hospital in Tallinn and is much better, his father Vadim told me.
Out of nine Estonian doctors who concluded in 2010 his daugther is in "permanent vegatative" status and there is no cure for her brain FIVE were same doctors related to the tragedy that finished the life my son in their hospital in autumn 2009.
If you wish to help Milana whose family still has to pay for part of treatment in Germany, you can get their contacts at website - http://irinei-ru.livejournal.com/.
Just in autumn 2010 72-year old long time Soviet doctor Peeter Mardna who has been working as health quality" expert under Social Ministry/Health Board in recent years and has violated many rules in health quality violation investigation cases humilated and heart a lot publicly also their family. Mardna claimed the young woman is hopeless and called people whose relatives are in similar situations to "think about donating organs". Mardna has not been given right by Milana family to comment their case, neither has anyone apologized for that wrong "expert" view. One can hardly imagine more cruel person into state paid health official duty.
p.s. Do you know that some tests - like the apnea test can actually harm the brain so that the comatose patient might become brain dead as a result? Search for the topic in net and u can also read article "Wanted Dead or Alive: Organ Donors" by Paul A. Byrne, M.D. Link to copy/paste: http://www.olvrc.com/medical/wanted.html .

New wave of reports about brutal treatment of patients in Estonian hospitals

STEP FORWARD: On May 30, 2011 Social Affairs Committee of the Estonian Parliament decided to create a special working group after the committee extended session that discussed the ongoing claims about medical errors in Estonia, abuse of patients and lack of patients rights. Estonian Patients Advocacy Association requests that the 72-year old ex-communist long time health quality claims supervisor Peeter Mardna will be exluded from the work of the commission due to repeated violation of legislation and personal help to cover up the medical errors and punish with lies and public humilation the patients and their relatives who have dared to disclose the abuse cases.
Regardless of many stories, incl. by leading Estonian daily Postimees about brutal treatment of patients in Estonian hospitals, regardless of hundreds of similar cases patients or their relatives wrote at Postimees net site after the daily disclosed my letter about the brutality my son faced at the Tallinn biggest hospital where he perished in autumn 2009, regardless of study up at Tartu University site that estimates at least 1500 people die every year due to medical mistakes in Estonia, a country of just 1.3 million people, the ex-career communist, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip whose Reform Party supervises also Social Ministry and health care, sees no problem as he stated again to parliament in spring 2011. Lets hope the international pressure will from now on force also Estonian government to admit the cruel reality. Head of Estonian Patient Advocacy Association Pille Ilves, quoted in AFP article on May 16, 2011 below, told me that the estimated number of 1500 people perishing every year due to medical errors in Estonia, is not correct - Ilves said that the actual number is much bigger than that because unlike developed countries the post-Soviet Estonia lacks many basic patient safety and hospital responsility mechanisms, common in West Europe and US. Links to AFP story "Hospital candid camera scandal rocks Estonia" are in links list right.

Human Rights Report 2012 about Torture and Abuse of Patients in Estonia

Posted: April 12, 2012
Overview about the abuse of patients and the violation of human rights in Estonian hospitals, Report compiled by Estonian Patients Advocacy Association (EPAA) in 2011, Contacts: www.epey.ee Translation from April 2012

The abuse of patients in Estonia has been highlighted by Estonian Human Rights Centre in its annual 2011 report, launched in April 2012 with the note that patients abuse in Estonia is a severe violation of human rights and international agreements signed by Estonia; and in some cases the patients abuse in Estonia can be called a torture. The following overview was one the main documents used for EHRC report opening chapter about the patients abuse.

Summary of abuse cases:

- The patients and their loved ones are treated without respect, with humiliation and brutally, health service providers cause knowingly and constantly severe misery to patients;
- the care for patients can be described as criminal neglect, patients are treated in a way that is humiliating and causes suffering;
- patients whose condition restricts their movement and force them to stay in bed are not fed, left without water and not assisted when they wish to visit toilet;
- patients considered by staff inconvenient are illegally chained/tied;
- the necessary health care tests are not made, medications not provided;
- instead of necessary care patients are injected/given huge doses of intoxicating drugs and/or chained to bed;
- patients and their relatives are verbally abused and humiliated, when patients or their relatives complain and ask for better care they are threatened to be kicked off from the hospital and the staff starts to persecute them;
- some health care providers try knowingly to take steps that could cause the death of the patient (giving them overdose of drugs, withdrawing necessary medications, freezing the bed-attached- patients while leaving them next to opened window during chilly Nordic weather; etc.
- Estonia lacks the objective and effective handling of patients complaints about medical service quality;
- there are no serious investigations in Estonia about suspicious death cases in hospitals and nursing hospitals;

Overview and examples of abuse cases in Estonian hospitals as revealed by patients

The cases are unedited complaints by patients and their relatives from 17 Estonian hospitals and nursing hospitals as provided to Estonian Patients Advocacy Association and to the Estonian national broadcasting company ETV program Eyewitness (Pealtnägija) that reported in 2011 patients abuse at the Keila branch of Tallinn biggest hospital PERH.

There is shortage of health care services in Estonia and what is offered is often unqualified, brutal and humiliating.

The serious complaints in nursing care have been registered from different parts of Estonia that indicates there are general shortages in the health care system;
- irrelevant financial scheme that cuts the interest of health care service providers to offer quality service and achieve the gratification of patients and destroys the chances to enable new service providers to enter the health care market (finances should move with the patient but not like in Estonia where the health care finances are allocated according to the service agreements concluded and supervised by the Estonian Sickness Fund, that looks a weird order giving favors to some service providers);
- lack of quality systems both on state and institutional level;
- lack of assistance services for families, limited supportive options in nursing for the patients loved ones;
- complete lack of objective and effective handling of patients complaints about medical service quality;
- complete lack of investigations about suspicious death cases in hospitals and nursing hospitals;

Patients have illustrated to Estonian Patients Advocacy Association the health care and nursing services in 17 Estonian hospitals and nursing hospitals with following examples and complaints.

1. Patients and their relatives are not informed about the treatment, health care services and prognosis. The request for information is ignored and both patient and the relatives are left uninformed. In some cases relatives are not informed about the death of patient or the info is given to the wrong people.

Among the complaints provided by patients following cases were described:

a) when I entered the hospital I did not find anywhere the info where exactly is my mother-in-law, so we had to walk through all the floors until we found her at the 6th floor;
b) it was impossible to meet the doctor, we were waiting hours for doctor behind the doctor´s room, our emails remained without answer;
c) at the section where my sister was we did not see any medical staff, I was looking for nurse or doctor to get info about her medical condition and test results to ask whether she has been fed and taken care, but unfortunately I did not manage to find anyone. After visiting hospital and calling hospital every day we managed to finally reach the doctor via phone a week later;
d) I wished to ask about the health condition and treatment of my mother-in-law. The staff member who was Russian and spoke bad Estonian answered arrogantly that I should not ask her but turn to doctor. Because it was Sunday, another doctor was at work. I asked to meet the doctor in person but was not allowed, instead the phone number of doctor was dialed and I was handed the phone to speak. After introducing myself and telling why I am at the hospital I was berated by the doctor who asked how can I dare to trouble the doctor and I was told the doctor is not obliged to tell me anything at all. After more and more verbal abuse by doctor I finally hang up;
e) I was told someone of doctors is dealing with my sister but until today I do not know who that was because there was no-one to ask;
f) Two weeks passed and there was no talk any more about the treatment or washing. It was also not possible to meet the doctor. It all made me to wonder later how naive we had been;
g) I had tried all the time to speak to the doctor but I managed to meet the doctor finally only when I had to go to sign the papers to receive the personal belongings after the death;
h) In the evening of the day when she was transformed I wished to go to see her but was told the visiting time is over. When we called the hospital we were told there is no point to come to see the grandmother because she is in comatose. Upon our strong request we were allowed to visit the hospital and it turned out grandmother was not at all in comatose but fully conscious. The same male doctor also later apologized that he messed up something. When we looked for the doctor of the grandmother it turned out no medical treatment was ordered for her and there was also no medical documents about her previous illness at Tallinn biggest hospital PERH branch in Mustamäe;
i) We did not see doctor even once during all that time;
j) When we talked (with doctor) on phone the doctor did not return any calls despite promising so. I will call you back... and that was it. The patient had very rare illness. Where is gone the professional attitude, professional interest?
k) We the relatives were not informed about the transfer, despite you could presume first aid staff or hospital might do that, especially when its about a severely ill patient who is not capable to do that himself. So we started to search together with mother. After several calls and searching numbers in net we finally found out where the patient had been transformed;
l) With all documents finally in hand we then had to go to morgue to take clothes to our loved one who had perished. When we reached the morgue it turned out we had been sent to wrong morgue by hospital despite we had been given even the bulletin of the funeral company and the address had been underlined for us by hospital! The bulletin was in Russian despite we had asked it in Estonian because we do not know Russian. They said only in Russian, so we live in Estonia but not even bulletins in own language.
m) On August 6 my mom and uncle found that the bed of my dad in hospital was empty. When they finally found the nurse they were told dad is in Tallinn biggest hospital morgue. When asked why the hospital did not inform family about the death the reply was that probably there were no contact data left despite I had asked so many times the doctor whether they have my number and answer was always: of course. Later it turned out finding an empty bed in that hospital like that and the practice not to inform relatives about the death is a common thing in that hospital.
n) When the staff heard I am myself from Estonian Patients Advocacy Association the man shouted categorically and impolitely: "WITH YOU I am not going to speak!" and disappeared behind the door quickly.
o) The hospital gave misleading info and the client had to drive without the need 100 km.
p) Client says his mother-in-law is in hospital and the doctor declines to speak on phone and share the info. The patient is in such a severe condition she is not able to defend her rights and handle the situation. Client is seeking to get info from a doctor regarding the health condition of the loved one and treatment.
q) Mother of the client is taken to hospital after traffic accident. Client asks to see the treatment plan for her mom. The doctor is not giving the information on phone and cuts the phone call without offering any time to meet. The attempt to arrange the meeting via nurse fails also because the nurse claims she has no idea when the doctor is in hospital and ready to meet.
r) When I asked when I can meet the doctor I was shouted: do not interrupt us, we have important work tasks!

2. Patients and their relatives in Estonian hospitals are treated in disrespectful, humiliating and brutal way. Health care service providers cause knowingly and constantly severe suffering

2.1. patient not taken care despite regulations request, bed-attached-patient not turned from one side to other as requested and as a result it causes bedsores that can be avoided only if the relatives make the nursing procedures themselves

s) the patient had been not turned in bed for several days;
t) I am still wondering how the bedsores can occur already during the first day in hospital;
u) the patient was not washed 22 days!
v) our mother got bedsores;
w) our mother had got bedsores and she was left "resting" on rot sheets. When we cleaned her the nurse came and screamed why we interfere with her job, adding that what we do is not prolonging the life of our mother, and nurse also asked us to give her money;
x) My spouse had got big bedsores during the weekend in hospital that was the result of bad nursing - how to impact the medical staff to do their job better? Asking for help;
y) patient got bedsores in hospital and there were even little worms inside the wounds by the time the patient was taken to another hospital. Because the patient had no close relatives the acquaintances who had informed Estonian Patient Advocacy Association did not wish to make official complain. Patient itself was in such a severe condition it made it impossible to stand for her rights herself;
z) The patient was kept only in bed and without any movement three weeks and we were told lies by staff. Patient roommates told us the patient had been kept in bed all that time.

2.2. Bed-attached patients are not fed, not given drink and not assisted when wishing to visit toilet

aa) Next to our grandmother was an old lady who had cancer and whom we also fed;
bb) Patients who are so ill they can stay in bed only are "given" food and drink simply so that the food is left to the nightstand near their bed and half and hour later its taken away with comment that the patient is not eating. How can patients so ill eat themselves??? Nobody is helping them there;
cc) I do not know whether the patient was fed;
dd) She was like dead body despite being alive, food was left at nightstand and she was unable to eat herself so they took it all off later, my mothers mind was very clear all time until she perished
ee) Food was not taken to the patient;
ff) When mother had better days she wished to go to WC herself but when I asked nursing staff for help they said their backs will get ill when they do that so I helped mom alone myself;
gg) I need to note that during all the time I spent at that hospital several older female patients asked for help, screaming from their bed, begging staff for water etc. But the answer was silence from the hospital staff - nobody moved to help them and they were not even ashamed despite I was there too;
hh) we were very worried for mother because there was even no assistance call button in the hospital room. Mother asked loudly for help to get to WC but no-one reacted despite she asked very loudly;
ii) Because the patient was old and ill at least someone from the staff could help the patient with eating, not speaking that the only time the patient was washed was when the relatives did that job themselves at the hospital;
jj) by that time father who had cancer and diabetes had been without food and drink for six days. That will exhaust even an healthy person. Turned out he had not been given at the hospital even the medications that he had been ordered and taken regularly at home;
kk) when the patient became bed-attached the staff seemed to lack any skill and also the will to offer modern nursing care;.
ll) one day I reached my mother at the hospital just before she was taken to procedure to install her feeding tube despite she was able to eat when assisted but no-one had asked us. We did not want the feeding tube installation procedure. It was clear they wished to get rid of the old woman quickly;

2.3. The care at the hospital can be illustrated as criminal negligence, patients are humiliated and treated in a way that causes severe suffering

mm) on the day when we went to take mother to home it turned out she had fallen to floor while on her way to the toilet and nobody came to help her before the lunch time. Mother said she had been on floor for hours and she had kept screaming for help all the time. It caused paralysis to her lower body and transfer to special nursing unit was needed. Four patients together with her in the same hospital room said that when mother had arrived there she was taken immediately to washing room where she fell again to the floor and then lied there on her urine;
nn) entering the hospital room we saw another shocking scene: my dad who had been nice and cheerful man was in bed with swaddling clothes and without a blanket, he had been given just some sheet that had fallen to floor, window was opened and his lips were dark blue and dry because no-one had given him water and he was unable to move himself enough to get it...The bed had been switched up from front side and as a result his body had fallen lower so he was unable to move even his only leg left. Where were nurses??? Had someone visited him at all??? I also note that there was no assistance call bell - so patient cant call help. He had also no voice due to his lung cancer that means he was also unable to scream for help;
oo) Young Russian staff member came and pushed him quickly up from shoulders despite his medical files indicate he has fracture in scapula. It seemed that no-one had even read his medical documents because he should not have been lifted up like that!!!
pp) When the condition of the patient worsened during the night patient had screamed for help several times, there was no help assistance call button, patient was asked to stay silent and sleep on, doctor was not invited and the patient had to wait for assistance until the relative reached the hospital;
qq) Dad had stroke and is paralyzed from one side, fed via tube and has brain injury. He fell from bed and got more injuries, should we take him somewhere else?

2.4. Patients in Estonian hospitals considered by staff inconvenient are illegally chained, despite the action is violation of the legislation

rr) On Sunday we took her to hospital and Monday morning we were called and told to take our mother off immediately because they claimed she is raving. She had been all her life a calm person who never had arranged war of words with anyone. It was hard to believe what we saw when we reached the hospital - she had been chained with belts to the bed at the hospital room. First thing she did when we arrived was to ask us to take her to another room where she started to count her money that felt weird because she was not the kind of person to suspect others. Now, later, we understand - she probably did not wish to leave her bag with money from her sight and she had seen that someone had tried to take something from her bag;
ss) Father has brain injury and is in hospital where his hands have been chained to each other, is that legal and allowed?
tt) Father of client chained, daughter worried.

2.5. Patients left with their excrement in bed for long time

uu) I asked them many times to change the diapers. Whether he was cleaned and washed during that time I do not know;
vv) I found many times mother in hospital bed with her excrement, she had also vomited, her mouth was dry and not clean. I washed her myself and also changed her clothes. She asked me every night not to leave her there but what could I do - she needed professional medical help so I could not take her home;
ww) They even do not wash patients. When my friend had been late with paying the bill immediate warning letter came that mother will be kicked off from the hospital;
xx) the room-mate at the hospital was kept by staff 24 hours in bed with excrement that looked like some kind of punishment because he had dared to push the assistance call button. He was brutally berated and as a result none of the patients at the hospital room had courage to push the assistance call button fearing the revenge by hospital staff.

2.6. Patient is left alone for long time and the condition of patient is not controlled, when patient dies hospital staff has no idea sometimes even on which day it happened

yy) no-one knew when mother passed off. Her body had been put away to cleaning woman messy room where all the working tools and chemicals of cleaners were -and her dead body;
zz) no-one had appeared to the hospital room door to find out how the patient was doing;
aaa) grandmother, 85 and in full sense, complained every time that nobody is visiting her for days, none of the doctors or nurses, no-one had told her about assistance call button, we found it and showed her how to use it.

2.7. No pain relief medications given

a) the horror for our family started in the evening when grandmother called and screamed she is having terrible pains. I asked her why she is not calling nurse and she said she had been screaming for help but no-one has came to her. I called the nurse on duty and asked her why she is not going to see my grandmother. The nurse replied claiming that my grandmother is not speaking the truth and there is nothing wrong with her. I then heard on phone how nurse was walking closer to my grandmothers room and I heard that terrible screaming again in nurse phone and I started to cry. I felt like my grandmother was tortured;
b) after the first shock I requested the pain relief medications for father because he had enormous pains in his broken shoulder blade.


2.8. Necessary health tests are not made and medications not given

c) At home she had a walking stick to help her moving but nothing to assist her had been given at the hospital, There was a table for eating and toilet chair next to her bed, but no toilet paper had been given;
d) we bought the medications to cure bed sores ourselves and took them to the hospital where we were told they do not have medications like that at the hospital;
e) I am afraid that because of her diabetes that was unstable and not treatable her situation worsened, its horrible to think whether at all and how often they were dealing with her. We got the impression that they just let her to die;.
f) my sister found grandmother once having high fever and breathing problems when she reached the hospital and asked the staff why nothing is done to help her. She was cursed by nursing staff who asked why do not we let an old woman to die and grandmother was taken to intensive care;
g) the picture that I will never forget and that forced me to write to you is from a day when I reached my mother at the hospital room and saw her face red and swollen and she had been chained by hospital staff and was whispering she is dying. I went into panic and called nurse who found out my mom had blood sugar problem, after some procedure then she felt finally better;
h) we had to beg for pain killers because nobody visited that hospital room;
i) he was ordered to have oxygen mask but one day it had disappeared and when we went to find out where it had disappeared there was no-one to ask, its like no staff in that hospital;
j) my mom has diabetes and she had been in hospital for quite some time when I found out she had not been even given any insulin shots despite at home she had to inject it 4 times a day!!!
k) despite the complaints and constant pains no medical tests were done to patients and no cure given, he perished due to enteritis;
l) the client got scabies from a nursing house, despite the son had told the nurse about the problem on skin when first signs had occured. When they got home the first aid ambulance that was called and came contacted the nursing house that was concerned who had complained;
m) client in nursing house has got skin infection but has not been taken to doctor, promised to hang himself;.
q) after hip joint operation the mother of the client got an high fever and dint make contact. Despite that she was transported from regional hospital back to local hospital where she was put into room for patients with no survival hope. The surgeon did not observe the wound and later it turned out the hip joint had been moved during the transportation. Patient had enormous pains, could not sit and has to suffer pain, was told no new operation. The X-ray was made only after relatives insisted;
r) mother who had a stroke is on nursing care, has got bed sores, severe bladder infection and hospital wants to send her home;
u) its well-known many cancer patients get heavy pains, we had visited in a year three times the doctor who advised us about pain-relief medications and how to take them. Now in hospital the pain relief medications are given chaotically.

2.9. Rooms can get ice cold during winters when staff opens windows

x) We found several times that the windows were opened despite it was still very cold in April, week and half after entering the hospital grandmother died because of pneumonia.
- Many similar complaints.

2.10. Instead of necessary care patients are injected/given huge doses of intoxicating drugs and/or chained to bed

aa) he had went to hospital being in full consciousness and walked to hospital himself but it took only less than day that he had became bed-attached patient, "demented elderly" who could not eat or drink without assistance;
bb) I got the feeling he had been given so much intoxicating drugs to keep him sleeping;
cc) after every day that passed I realized she is going to loose her sense, her arms were full of injection signs;
dd) grandmother health worsened every day, instead of getting better she was now attached to some tubes, her and legs were tied and swollen, they said its from injections;
ee) legs of the patient who had stroke have swollen during the nursing care, signs of injections on legs;
ff) it took few weeks to realize that the rehabilitation care in that hospital meant feeding the patient with pain-relief medications and giving bigger and bigger doses of sleeping pills. Around week after going to hospital grandmother started to see hallucinations. Two weeks later she was completely insane, all she said was plea to take her away from there. .... At home she did not understood anything, was unable to recognize us or that she was at home. Her tongue was so swollen we could not understand any word she said. In coming days no progress either. We were guarding her with all family. The recovery from the overdoses of intoxicating drugs at the hospital took 8 months;
gg) I do not know what that was they injected me, but it was really strong and had quick impact. ... Sometimes they hit me later to see whether it was strong enough so I will remain sleeping and will not cause them any trouble...
hh) the doctor gave the 81-year old (weight 50kg) too strong doses of pain relief medications that most likely caused her death. Because I accused the doctor I was told by doctor no time to write and give me the death certificate.

2.11. Patients and their relatives are verbally abused and humiliated, when patients or their relatives complain and ask for better care they are threatened to be kicked off from the hospital and the staff starts to persecute them

ii) mom was verbally abused during night because she had dared to ask assistance when she wished to go to toilet. She was berated and did not get help;
jj) doctor said we are abnormal people, adding he means all our family;
kk) doctor refused to talk to us;
ll) each time I asked about the condition of my mother I was berated.

2.12. Feelings of patients not taken into account, at some hospitals staff likes to demonstrate how helpless the patients are, arrogantly and without a tact also speaking about their death soon

a) We met at our sister´s hospital room. Doctor who was not the in charge of my sister´s case lead the meeting. He behaved terribly - asked a question from my sister and hearing hardly the answer noted ironically - you see, they are all like her here. I felt heart to the bottom of my heart with those words. I knew myself what the situation is, but I could still expect a doctor to give a polite explanation. Sitting in the doctor´s room it was obvious he did not wish to come to that meeting and he was not even familiar with the medical case of the patient;
b) The doctor said for a start "....how FUNNY it is - he (my dad) should actually be already dead by now." We saw no fun anywhere. When we contacted the doctor again after while to ask about the condition of father the doctor kept looking at the computer screen and said: "He will die, nothing to do!"
c) Doctor leaned to the sick boy, knowing he could not speak and behaving more politely than with me but still presented is question unpleasantly loudly and in irritated way like he was speaking with annoying and deaf old person: "Tell us Stanislav how old you are?" Boy tried to do his best to answer but it was not possible to understand. Doctor said loudly, victoriously and complacently: "I didnt heard what you said, repeat it!" The young patient tried again to get voice out from his mouth. The doctor then shouted: "I didnt heard how old you are?!" And five times like that. He could have continued that circus probably had I not interfered. I need to admit honestly I started to feel sick. I interrupted the doctor loudly saying "I heard he said he is 19!".

2.13. No modern nursing services offered

e) it looked like staff was never at work;
f) during the 4 months he was there we saw only 3 times some employees. One was cleaning lady, another was Russian employee, probably nurse who turned the patient who had pain and horrific bed sores, third time I saw staff member was when I went to take mother´s belongings on the day of her death;
g) when at first hospital she got at least some kind of therapy then at the nursing hospital where she was transferred she was left in same position every time we visited her;
h) I saw my dad with empty look, not shaved and not cleaned. After I asked the staff member for comb she made big eyes and shouted that she is not nurse, so that question to her is not relevant. Finally one upset staff member found a comb and announced they do not take care of the patients appearance. So we decided with family we will take care ourselves and we took all necessary tools with us every time we went to visit him at hospital;
j) is it normal that nursing home clients cant get out from the building in summer? What to do to get dignified service for the people, we have paid lot of money for that place?
k) Why the patient in comatose was not taken care? The 22-year old friend of client was in comatose and there seemed to be no nursing at all. Now the patient is out of comatose and needs therapies and good nursing, but its impossible to get it. Friend was made handicapped forever due to insufficient nursing.

3. Health care providers try knowingly to take steps that could cause the death of the patients (giving them overdose of drugs, withdrawing necessary medications, freezing the bed-attached- patients while leaving them next to opened window during chilly Nordic weather etc.

o) On May 5 nursers informed us mother had tried to commit suicide, she had tried to disconnect the cannula attached to her etc, blood transfer was needed because she had lost over a liter of blood. Mother insisted us later she did not do that and that doctors had done something wrong (at that point we thought mother has lost a sense but we are not sure about it any more). Mother had been illegally chained to bed;
p) almost immediately staff started to accuse my dad that he had been drinking all the chemicals that were meant to clean the hospital room!!! It became clear almost immediately they wish to get rid off of my dad as soon as possible;

4. Because there are few establishments offering nursing services in Estonia, relatives are pushed to pay bribe to maintain the service or get better service

q) when we were cleaning mother ourselves nurse came and shouted why we come to make her trouble and that we should know mother will not leave longer because of that, she also asked us for money;
r) doctor said that the time for my dad to stay at nursing care is over and he must be sent home. Then he asked in that meaningful way - I do not know whether we can still find some kind of solution to that. I understood immediately he was asking a bribe.

5. Money of patients stolen

Several cases reported, including staff member calling to relative and asking whether he knows the banking card code of the patient.

6. The complaints about abuse and medical service are not taken seriously. They are ignored, not admitted, patients who complain made to look ridiculous, humiliated, berated, threatened to be kicked off or to be punished in different ways. In some cases the poor quality is however admitted and the comment is it should be like that

v) There are tens and tens people in similar situations who do not know where to turn to get help because nobody is listening them and they are labelled liars who have communication problems;
w) when we looked for justice and answers we were asked whether we do not know that this is the place where people are sent to die and not to recover;
x) I then asked the doctor to look after her and not to interrupt the little therapy they had done. But the doctor got angry and said I should take my sister away if I do not like what they do;
y) grandmother was shaking in bed, eyes big from fear and looking towards door. I asked what had happened and she whispered into my ear that nurse had threatened her a day before and had told her that if she calls again it will end badly. When the nurse left she also took phone with her so grandmother could not call. I was so angry to hear that and I went to nurses room to ask for explanation. No sensible answer was given and of course they denied it. Their attitude changed for even worse after that;
z) no-one had name on her clothes neither told us the names when I said I wish to present a complain. They told me at nurses resting room - six of us against you, what you think who will believe you? Like I was there only to crash their mood;
aa) what happened when mother died was that the doctor did not answer the phone any more;
bb) Mother had mobile phone and dad called her every day. Every day. Mother was sane and spoke about her condition. Once when dad had been speaking to her phone the phone was left open and what my dad heard was unbelievable. Nurses who had came to hospital room after mother had called for help loudly were screaming at mother to shut up or she will be chained and locked alone into dark room. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON THERE??????????? Yes, I cant prove that because we had no tape recorder to record it. But I wish you to know how they work in that house. They lack any COMPASSION . (testimony from the letter of daughter to his mother´s doctor);
cc) after we had asked oxygen mask things went worse, because she was taken into section of dying people where she had to share the room with insane patient screaming days and night;
ee) then something unexpected and unbelievable happened - doctor jumped over the table and grabbed me with his hands. He grabbed my breast and I felt how his fingers were slipping behind my brassiere, and he gnarled and and teared it like dealing with a rag doll. I was so shocked I probably did not even defend myself (testimony by the lawyer of the Estonian Patients Advocacy Association about her encounter with a male doctor she had went to meet to talk about a client).

7. Severe shortages management of hospitals
a) management lacks the overview about patients, their cure and the activities of their employees;
b) hospital leaders justify the ignorance or unauthorized acts by staff when patients or their relatives reveal those cases;
c) there is complete lack of control about the quality of service and also no wish to improve the quality of service;
d) lack of regulations and supervisory tools to grant the quality of service;
e) there is no system to handle the complaints of patients or their relatives;
f) the qualification of staff offering nursing services is clearly insufficient.

The nursing services in Estonia are described in testimonies by relatives with following words:

a) empty and weird "meat industry";
b) I would like to talk screaming about the people who work there;
c) I wished to know whether the horrible stories I had about the hospital are true. When at the hospital I realized the situation is even worse;
d) patients have lost all hopes for survival, because they have been made clear they were taken there for one reason only: to die;
e) daily visits convinced me in even more horrific way what you had experienced;
f) the environment in that hospital is softly said dismal and inhuman;
g) its like horror film what we went through;
h) we would not recommend anyone to let you loved ones to hospital because the patients will not come out on their one legs from there;
i) the TV report about the hospital opened the old wounds - sorrow, pain of loss, anger...
j) I got a shock when I went to see my sister to that hospital first time;
k) because of this experience I know that in Estonia unfortunately there is no proper nursing care and no order to offer compassion to fatally ill and their relatives;
l) most horrible is that if you really wish to put a person to nursing hospital we do not have in Estonia such a place (for nursing care patients who should be supervised by doctors). You should watch instead how people are tortured and humiliated and you know from that place the patients do not come out alive;
m) I was in hysteria every night because I was unable to help her. Sometimes I was sitting for long time in car to calm down before I drive home. I was thinking what kind of people work there and how all were treated there, it was so inhuman you could talk and talk about these stories;
n) I am so sorry my mother had to suffer like that there for so long!
o) I was in tears when I watched the TV report about that hospital;
p) I cant believe that such nursing treatment is normal!? Human being was just kicked to some corner to die! And its exactly how it was. My dad died like that in 2010 and I have painful question whether there was anyone with him at all?! Was he in need of help and no-one went? Unfortunately that question will remain without answer forever....
q) we will be hunted forever with this negligence and indifference of hospital staff and the pain they caused. Are some parts of Estonian hospital system so down they cant offer even dignitive last days for humans...?
r) one doctor I know told me I should be grateful my dad was unconscious when in... hospital. He said he himself had taken his dad off from there because nobody had cared for his health there;
s) after that two hard months full of humiliation by hospital staff followed;
t) no, I do not wish to become old in a state where I am treated - when I fall ill or will be old - like an annoying meat body;
u) I felt frustrated again when I saw that same room, the doctor and the hospital. What had happened to her there was against all human principles. I can still not forget the lies etc. by the doctor... Such person should not work as a doctor. When you wish to know more I am ready to talk;
v) later at Tallinn funeral company one of the workers there told us that hospital is death factory;
w) last autumn also my grandmother was at the same hospital and the complaints could be same as aired in the TV program;
x) the experience was negative, to improve the situation I am ready to say few words - its terrific to even think about it all again;
y) I got a clear opinion that the hospital needed the patient only to get the money from Sickness Fund. Rehabilitation plan for my sister was compiled but it remained just a plan because it was not possible to implement it and the doctors who had compiled it had no interest to follow whether it was even used. But making such a plan is profitable - it takes money to those who compile it but it brings nothing good for a patient!
z) all the point of the story is that from a person who was going to die was taken off the dignity. It is hard for us to remember the suffering of father;
aa) I wish to say this kind of attitude is common in many nursing establishments;
bb) this place is like concentration camp, no medical treatment, no nursing, the food was extremely bad. Patients and their relatives are scared that if they dare to complain about anything they will be signed out.

The overview about the abuse of patients in Estonian hospital is compiled by Estonian Patients Advocacy Association 2011, and is quoted and highlighted also in annual Human Rights Report 2011 launched in April 2012 by Estonian Human Rights Centre. Contacts: www.epey.ee.

For more info about the abuse of patients, violation of human rights and the attempts to force Estonian authorities to compile and adopt Patients Rights Law and to take other necessary steps can be read at the website: fatalhospitalerrors.blogspot.com

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Anneli Reigas

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Estonian doctor: Inhuman treatment and errors in Estonian hospitals far not just seldom cases

"Estonian health sector needs urgent changes and the long time cover-up practice in medicine has to end. Health quality monitoring and objective complaints handling system are practically not existing in Estonia, people who reveal their own experiences about what they have witnessed in hospitals are punished with public revenge, hospitals themselves are often interested only about the money they get for treating patients and not the quality of medical treatment. As a doctor I can confirm that the horrible stories about the brutal experiences from the hospitals are just a tiny part of the disorganization in Estonian health care. As a doctor I keep being told by my patients about similar cases again and again. Unfortunately such publicly revealed cases also damage the reputation of those good doctors in hospitals who have nothing to do with this kind of behaviour and misdoings," said dr. Ivo Kolts, lecturer on anatomy at the Tartu University who attended a seminar about the violation of patient rights in Estonian hospitals and relevant proposals at the Conference Centre of the Parliament at Toompea on Monday, February 21, 2011.

The speakers at the seminar were Pille Ilves - the head of the Estonian Patient Advocacy Association, doctor Ivo Kolts - anatomy lecturer at Tartu university, Urmas Reinsalu - Head of Parliament Social Affairs Commission, MP Toomas Trapido who made a summary whether and what has changed for better in health sector since the last similar seminar at the Parliament Conference Centre nearly a year ago.

History teacher Endla Lindmäe spoke about her son´s case whom the doctors at Tallinn biggest hospital gave no hope at all for survival, left the 22-year old without relevant treatment that causes lot of moving problems still five years later, who was starved to 33-kg in Estonian hospital before the parents took their son home upon the advice of nurse who said he will otherwise die in days in hospital - but instead came out from comatose later at home and five years later has not even any brain damage.

The initiative to force Estonian government to admit the existing problems in Estonian hospitals and to encourage the government finally to compile and adopt Patient Rights Law was initiated last year by Estonian MP Toomas Trapido, myself and some other people who have faced the brutal treatment of their relatives in Estonian hospitals.

By winter 2011 two Estonian parties - Fatherland and Pro Patria Union and also Social Democrats have included the Patient Rights Bill into their parliament election program but the two biggest parties - the ruling Reform Party and Central Party have been still ignoring the need for Patient Rights Law and the need to handle the claims about the violation of human rights in Estonian hospitals.

Estonia government that compiled its last Human Rights Report to UN recently that was discussed in Geneva early February decided to ignore all the matter this time with excluding the Patient Rights Association first time ever from the list of NGOs who were asked to express their opinion and make proposals about the fresh report.

In January Estonian Patient Rights Association sent a letter to Social Ministry informing the ministry it withdrews from current medical quality commission that is considered not objective and its members are not punished even if they lied or falsificated documents. Estonian Patient Rights Association that has stressed repeatedly that human rights of patients are often violated in Estonia has made also several proposals to authorities to change the legislation and monitoring system and to set up a completely new health sector monitoring commission that will include also lawyers.

The summary in English about the speeches at the seminar will be added here later.

To read all stories click HERE

Another case: History teacher speaks out how her 22-year old son was told to die anyway, left without treatment, starved to 33-kg

On New Years Eve 2005 22-year old Estonian had a traffic accident and was taken to Tallinn biggest hospital, after month in emergency department - still in comatose - he was taken to neurosurgery department and as he had got the MRSA virus in hospital left alone in room for weeks with his mom allowed to visit him only one hour per day. The doctors told mother his son has zero chances to survive and left the boy without treatment that could have avoided his later health problems. After the weeks in that Tallinn hospital he was taken to another establishment of the same hospital in Keila where he was starved to 33-kg by the time a nurse told family to take the boy home immediately or he will die.

"The nurse said their department was going to holiday and in other department it would take few days - and we will loose him. I also found out they had feeded him almost with nothing else but just a water. When I asked another nurse then how is it possible they treat him like this she made me clear I am not normal if I cant understand that he is not starving but his brain is so damaged its not absorbing any food. He was 33-kg when he arrived home and we started to treat and feed him ourselves. After being six months in comatose he woke up at home and step by step we won him back to life. He has no brain damage at all. Only after we met a doctor who started to treat him to get him off from bed, and stand again, we felt first time we had met a doctor who really cared for him. Five years later we are still struggling with results of the doctors who left him without treatment that could have avoided the muscle problems he now has," history teacher E. Lindmäe told at the seminar in Tallinn at Parliament Conference centre on Jan. 21, 2011.

Another Estonian teacher, R. Pener wrote in February 2011 in a long article (at weekly EE site) "You should have a really strong, iron-strong health when you got to meet a doctor or to hospital in Estonia./.../The work of doctors could be so much better without these annoying patients in that country. /.../It is good to live in Estonia until you have a close relations with ruling political elite and until you have a very good health."

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Member of Estonian parliament speaks out about the torture of his father in Tallinn hospital

After the case described above was revealed on November 2, 2009, Toomas Trapido, member of the Estonian Parliament told both the public and parliament also about the torture of his father in one of Tallinn hospitals few years ago.

"In just two days since signing in to the hospital my father was illegally chained, and chemically/physically tortured. But unlike many other people who have faced the same, we were lucky to have a chance to switch the hospital and it was like switching from hell to paradise, " Trapido told parliament at the parliament session, initiated by his Green Party, requesting also the Social Minister Hanno Pevkur to comment the cases of abuse in hospitals.

Since Trapido whose mother has been herself a doctor all her life, spoke out about the torture and violation of human rights in Estonian hospitals, he was contacted by many patients and their families who spoke about their own similar experiences.

The attempts to force Social Ministry and its health officials to acknowledge the problems has been met by severe opposition from Social Ministry, health officials and the Social Minister Hanno Pevkur who has tolerated for long the ongoing violation of the so-called medical errors complaints commission at the ministry even in cases when the violation has been clearly proved.

One of the most deepest violation of the commission that has been long led by long time Soviet health official and doctor is including the staff of hospitals/colleagues of doctors accused to the commission against the Estonian legislation that strongly rejects it.

In addition the Social Ministry has also violated the rights of patients whose approval to handle the disputed cases in the commission and share the medical data to third parties has often even not been asked despite the legislation requests it. In some major cases patients have not been even told the names of the members of commission before the session neither have the patients been involved to investigation process - again, against the law.

Estonian Patient Advocacy Association who withdrew from the commission in January 2011, stated the commission is not objective, not accounting human rights or patient rights, and doctors who have even falsificated documents and commission members are not - unlike in court - charged even if they lie. Regardless of all that the Social Minister Hanno Pevkur from Reform Party (led by PM who is married to doctor) has not punished any health officials who have organized the violation of the legislation.

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Ex-Interior Minister was first to reveal brutal treatment of patients

First who revealed the inhuman treatment of patients in Tallinn hospitals was Estonian -ex-Interior Minister and Member of Parliament R. Lepikson who saw the inner life of hospitals in Tallinn and way off more human Germany during the battle with the illness his wife had. Revealing in 2006 what he had seen in hospitals after the death of his wife was followed unfortunately two months later with his own fatal heart attack but his powerful message has been strongly remembered.

Since that many more similar cases have been released but not much has changed.

This website was created in late Jan 2011, 15 months after the brutal treatment of my son in Tallinn biggest hospital - coincidentally the very same hospital and the very same department Lepiksons had been, where he perished in autumn 2009. Compiling the new human rights report for the United Nations for 2011 Feb review in Geneva Estonian government excluded human rights violation cases in Estonian health institutions completely from the report, excluding also Patients Advocacy Association first time ever from the list of NGOs whose opinion authorities asked. We ask both UN and other international organizations to force Estonian government to respect human rights and obey criminal legislation also in hospitals, and to finally compile, adopt and respect the Patients Rights Law and to end the Soviet style handling of complaints and torture by some doctors, nurses and authorities responsible for the constant and severe violation of Human Rights, Constitution and UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment in Estonian, mostly Tallinn hospitals.

Back to front page HERE

Belarus style ignoring by Estonian officials and Reform leaders to criticism by UN and others about violation of human rights in Estonian hospitals

Last News

November 2, 2011. All Souls Day in Estonia today, prayers and wishes to all our loved ones.
Estonian doctors union (far not all doctors are its members) had an event called conference on ethics last week in Tallinn. It turned out the organisers had completely excluded two main topics related to ethics from its program. No speech on how decrease the wide practice of asking bribes by doctors (who, according to Justice Ministry annual corruption studies 2009, 2010 are most bribe taking professionals in Estonia, 9% (!) of those asked said their doctor has asked for bribe, summary of 2010 study here and no speech on how to increase patient safety and reach the patient rights law that Estonia still lacks. Doctors union has just declared its not supporting the draft of patient law presented by two MPs this autumn. The study about problems with patients safety and rights in Estonia up at Tartu University site that estimates 1500 perish in Estonia due to medical mistakes seems to irritate many of soviet minded doctors. Some of those old minded people requested at the event that when articles about patients abuse are revealed in media doctors involved should have right to reveal in turn the private medical data about these patients- its an highly nazy-like approach, or, accounting the communistic background of those people, stalinistic approach. Whether the patient was a little ill or bit more ill or very ill can not justify the abuses in hospitals neither the violation of criminal legislation in hospitals and people behind those abuses can not hide their responsibility behind the cry for getting right to humilate their victims with revealing whatever they wish from medical data that in case of Estonia can still also be falsificated after such incidents. This kind of practice would decrease even more the courage of people to reveal abuses in hospitals, even now many people are scared to speak publicly, despite speaking openly to patients union. Some top members (and ex-communists) of doctors union (Andres Ellamaa, Peeter Mardna) have been caught violating severely the legislation on medical complaints cases, and (Mardna) even violating criminal law, being now under investigation. Their lies have been distributed also by some other people, including general secretary of doctors union Katrin Rehemaa. One can easily wonder are they drived by anger being rid of their Soviet era privileges or violating laws and distributing lies is just deep in blood and head from Soviet times, so it just feels right to slam down on those who have disclosed hospitals abuses. Despite my recent optimism it seems that its still a long way to go until all Estonian health system and its powerful minority of some Soviet minded doctors will accept that European standards on patient safety and human rights are an essential part of modern society.
October 16, 2011. Over a year and half since Estonian Social Ministry and the staff of Tallinn biggest hospital responsible for the abuse and death of my son on October 15, 2009 organised massive pay back campaign for revealing the brutal abuse incidents in that hospital, I finally got two so-called expert papers, ordered by long Soviet era official from the 80 year old man in other town and his colleague. Reading those two documents that falsificate even the facts from my son´s medical file its obvious the two had either no idea about what are our complains about or they just helped to falsificate the case too. All these documents should have been given to me already in winter 2010 according to the law, so we could point out the falsifcation before the massive attack organised by the Estonian doctors union and medical staff concerned whom Tartu University medical professor and Patient union head both called as nothing least than maffia. The so called medical quality commission at social ministry that tried to silence me and the scandal in spring 2010 violated almost all chapters of the legislation regulating the work of that commission that among other things requests that no colleagues of doctors under investigation should belong to the commission - in our case five doctors - colleagues of the doctor under investigation belonged to commission. We are still waiting in autumn 2011 for some missing documents. I wonder whether these cruel people really believed that they can avoid trial and revealing the truth.

On afternoon Oct 14, 2011 I also finally got the testimonies written by doctors after autumn 2009. I knew what to expect but reading them yesterday, on Oct 15, 2011 I was only wondering how some of them managed to lie even about the facts from medical files itself.

There has been at least some good news in last month - two Estonian MPs - social democrats Heljo Pikhof and Eiki Nestor have compiled the draft of Patients law that Estonia still lacks, despite being out from Soviet rule over 20 years by now. Both the Patients and Nursers Associations also wish to amend it with several proposals. There was an interesting debate on that draft in radio yesterday where the Soviet era educated colleague of the people who abused my son tried to ridicule the need for law on patient rights. I truelly hope current parliament will find courage to adopt the Patient Law despite even Prime Minister Andrus Ansip - who is married to doctor - and his Reform Party have been not in favor for the law on patients rights. But at least two parliament parties out of four - Social Democrats and Reform Party coalition member in parliament Pro Patria and Res Publica Union included it to their party election program in winter 2011.

On Oct 14, 2011 Tartu University launched a special website with medical treatment guidelines to increase quality in health sector and patient safety in Estonia - another good step.

Estonian business daily revealed same day it had asked the help from court in summer to find out who were behind nasty and even life-threathing comments in web after the daily published articles about some doctors travelling on expense of drug firms to trips where holiday, not work-related purpose might have been main goal, and same journalist and photographer also released candid camera video about drug company event in Tallinn that turned into alcohol party and was fined by State Agency of Medicine later with 25 000 euros for violating legislation. Well, with the help of court what was suspected was revealed - most nasty comments to revealing stories were written by some doctors who had to find out now hope to stay anonymous in net can turn into embarrassing public moment with the help of court.

One of the moments that break me fully down two years ago arrived weeks after I had lost my son when I learned that the report of the test (concluding II stage tumor) done to the piece cut off from son at what we had considered was cosmetic procedure in 2006 belonged to another person who - in difference of my son - also had some problem with eye as the test noted. The so-called cosmetic op 2006 was done in one clinic by doctor we never saw again, test sent and done in other bigger clinic as routine and the unexpected result told by third person weeks later. Some additional doc-s I have got finally last weeks have outlined that switch of first test again. That diagnosis itself has however nothing to do with complaints of abuse in hospital, described HERE.

August 8, 2011, Public letter (with the proposals on how to strengthen patient´s safety and set up an objective commission to review medical errors and massive abuse complaints in Estonian, mainly Tallinn hospitals), compiled by the Patients Advocacy Association with the joint proposals of victims and their relatives has been sent to the Estonian parliament.


July 1, 2011, Estonian Patients Advocacy Association invited the relatives of hospital abuse victims to the roundtable in June, introduced the overview about latest abuses in hospitals and asked roundtable for the proposals on how to increase medical treatment quality in hospitals, decrease abuse of patients and call authorities to set up an objective medical errors commission. The association sent the same overview about latest abuses in Estonian, mainly Tallinn hospitals already in May also to Prime Minister A. Ansip whose adviser K. Kukk replies weeks later with short note that the association calls "no answer at all".

May 30, 2011, Social Affairs Committee of the Estonian Parliament decides to create a special working group after the committee extended session that discussed the ongoing claims about medical errors in Estonia, abuse of patients and lack of patients rights. One small step forward! Estonian Patients Advocacy Association request that the long time health quality claims supervisor will be exluded from the work of the commission due to repeated violation of legislation and personal help to cover up the medical errors and punish with lies and public humilation the patients and their relatives who have dared to disclose the cases.

May 5, 2011, threats to patients and their relatives, illegal chaining, mistreatment, request of bribe by doctors, doctor sentenced for bribing promoted by hospital supervise the branch hospital, Estonian biggest hospital like a concentration camp - EST national broadcasting company that has ignored for long horrors in Estonian health care aired cruel stories of 5 patients + Patient Advocacy Association female lawyer, attacked by violent doctor uudised.err.ee/index.php?0&popup=video&id=40926

April 18, 2011, Estonian daily Eesti Päevaleht writes 1500 people die in Estonia every year due to medical errors of doctors and nursers, according to the study available at Tartu University website. First time ever the cruel reality of Estonian health care revealed, with note also how the Soviet-era-eduated ex-communist health sector "quality supervisor" ignores and denies it.

April 6, 2011. Estonian TV program Pealtnägija revealed today with candid camera today how cruelly staff treats patients and threatens relatives and how doctors, even hospital chief of the hospital can lie without blink of eye, and how they try to cover it all up. That is the branch of same evil Estonia´s biggest PERH hospital where we were. I read after the program later the chief of the hospital branch had been sentenced to prison in 2006 for 5 years for bribing - probaly its possible only in ex-Soviet mentality that some a person like that is promoted by hospital board to superviser so many people. Just few days later another candid camera video by journalists of Estonian business daily revealed how international drug companies brainwash Estonian doctors, and how easily even in front of camera the doctors can lie without knowing their lies are illustrated with candid camera video.

March 23, 2011. Coalition program for next government released after recent elections - turns out Estonian Reform party chaired by PM Andrus Ansip has kicked off the coalition partner´s election promise to compile and adopt finally Patient Rights Law in Estonia that the ex-Soviet state still lacks unlike Nordic and most Western states. No wonder, ex-communist Ansip is married to a doctor working for foreign drug company like some Ansip´s friends making good profit in medicine as media has revealed. Money, not obeying human rights matter.

Feb. 3, 2011 - 94% of the 1700 people who responded to Estonian Postimees-daily net poll said they support a totally new medical errors/quality evaluation commission with lawyers, doctors and patients investigating and evaluating the medical errors instead of (current, highly corrupted system) only doctors evaluating the cases.

Feb 2, 2011 - It turned out during the meeting with the long time head of Estonian Patients Advocacy Association today that Estonian government has adopted Belarus style cover-up about the violation of human rights in some Estonian hospitals. Estonian Foreign Ministry and other official institutions involved did not even mention in the Estonian human rights report to UN 2011 the cruelity disclosed in recent years in Estonian health care. No man, no problem as already Stalin.

In light of vast criticism made by UN, Estonian Patients Advocacy Association etc about the severe violation of human rights of patients in Estonia the cover-up style of authorities is very undemocratic and rather Sovetic.Estonia presented its new human rights report to UN and the report was discussed on February 2, 2011. Despite UN has made criticism about the failure of protecting human rights in Estonian hopsitals, Estonian authorities, including Foreign Ministry excluded the topic from its report.

In its summer 2010 report about Estonia UN Human Rights Committee indicated - UN is concerned that Estonian Chancellor of Justice is not sufficiently involved in the promotion and protection of human rights, United Nations said in July 2010 report. "The State party should either provide the Chancellor of Justice with a broader mandate to more fully promote and protect all human rights or achieve that aim by some other means, in full compliance with the Paris Principles, and take into account in this regard the requirements for the national preventive mechanism under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment," UN wrote in its report about Estonia after Geneva session July 2010.

Fall 2010, 2011 : Estonian Patient Advocacy Association withdrew from state medical errors commission saying the commission is not objective, its members are not punished if they even lie and the commission is not protecting patients human rights in Estonia. In some cases the leaders of the commission have severely violated most main principles of the legislation, including against the law even the doctors from the hospital under investigation to evaluate the complains against the same hospital.

January 2011: Two Estonian parties, Fatherland and Pro Patria Union & Social Democrats include Patients Rights Law into their parliament elections program. We welcome the step and hope it will be followed also by the two major parties who have opposed the law on patients human rights the most - government coalition leading Reform party and the Central Party from opposition, both being led by ex Communists (note - however, after the elections 2011 the proposal to compile Patient Rights Law was forgotton again and not included to the treaty of the government coalition, compiled of both Fatherland and Pro Patria Union and Reform Party).

January 25, 2011: Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet (Reform Party) got upset at the human rights press conference in Tallinn when asked why his party that has ruled longer than any other party has not adopted neither included Patients Rights Law into its program. "It is not Reform Party meeting," the minister slammed at the press conference. The chairman of the party, PM Andrus Ansip has been as reluctant to discuss and admit the violation of law and human rights in Estonian hospitals.

January 27, 2011. "The current situation when people who have disclosed the problems in some hospitals have been punished in Estonia with libels and public condemnation organised by some high rank officials is not proper for any democratic state. Its time to start respecting human rights in Estonian hospitals," Toomas Trapido, Member of Estonian Parliament commented the year long battle for patiens rights law in a public statement. Trapido is one of MPs who disclosed a year ago his father was also tortured in Tallinn hospital, being chained to bed against his will and chemically/phyisically suppressed. "We managed to change the hospital that felt like we had switched hell to heaven," Trapido told parliament in January 2010 at the parliament session. In spring his mother, a life-time doctor who has also worked in Sweden, compared the patient-oriented hospitals and health system in Nordic States to post-Soviet Estonia, outlining several shortages in Estonian health care and stressing the need to realize problems and change them in order to make the hospitals and treatments of patients more human and respect the rights of patients.

Two major studies compiled by Justice Ministry and launched in June 2010 and September 2009 have indicated that doctors in Estonia are the most corrupted professional in that country, with 9 percent of those polled saying they have been requested a bribe by their doctor during last 12 monts. The lack of order and lack of punishment for violations committed in medicine is also damaging the reputation of honest doctors.

November 2, 2009. I am revealing in a note to media several details about the brutal treatment of my 26 year old son in Tallinn biggest hospital. Hundreds of people respond already same day on Estonian media websites decsribing cruelity they have experienced or witnessed in Estonian, mainly Tallinn and most of all in the very same hospital. Media had started to contact me already a week after my son perished there in mid-October. I wished to have at least few weeks of peace before I revealed the horror my son had to experience there. The scale of lies, falsification of documents, including by some Social Ministry health officials and the threats that followed were simply discusting. Among the people who contacted me saying they have had several similar experiences themselves were also some members of Estonian parliament of whom one was ready to launch a public struggle against the corrupted, cruel and Soviet style Estonian medicine where nobody seems to be responsible for anything, even when people are tortured and lives are lost due to medical errors.

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Justice Ministry Study: doctors most corrupted professionals in Estonia

Two major studies compiled by the order of Estonian Justice Ministry and launched in June 2010 and September 2009 have revealed that medical doctors are the most corrupted professionals in Estonia. According to the study revealed by Justice Ministry in June 2010 as much as 9% of those polled said doctors have asked them for a bribe during last 12 months. Among most corrupted professions that request and do not request university level education, doctors in Estonia rank as 2nd, with only those evaluating the vehicles listed as more corrupted (by 11% of those polled).

The both major corruption studies (in Estonia) can be found at the Estonian Justice Ministry homepage at www.just.ee . Regardless of the major corruption in medicine almost none of the Estonian doctors has ever been punished for requesting and taking bribes. The question - WHY? - has a simpler answer - what happens in hospitals and in medicine has been above the law in Estonia since Soviet era with that time doctors and their mentality still strongly ruling the system that seems not to understand that breaking the laws and admitting bribes damages also the reputation of doctors who never take bribes and in difference of their colleagues respect and follow also human rights.

In one of rare cases when a doctor who had taken bribes in several cases was sentenced by criminal court, the sentence was followed by the decision of Tallinn biggest hospital PERH to promote the sentenced doctor to Chair one of the PERH branches that he had to quit years later when the case was revealed to public.

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Est health industry with not much ethics and regulations paradise for global drug firms

Corrupted health industry in some Eastern Europe states, including Estonia with not much ethics and regulations obeyed one of paradises for global drug firm tests, US magazine Vanity Fair writes in the article "Deadly medicine". You can find the article HERE

Back to website fron page HERE

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medical errors, fatal medical errors, human rights, human rights in Estonia, torture in hospitals, chaining, hospital mistakes, penicillin shock, safety in hospital, wrong diagnosis, patient rights law, patient rights laws, patient rights legislation