Number: 594/2020 date: April 21, 2020

GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Crisis Headquarters for Suppressing Infectious Disease COVID-19

11000 BELGRADE

Nemanjina 11

Respecting the efforts made in overcoming the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, based on the competence established by law, considers it necessary to point out the problems faced by persons on dialysis during the state of emergency, which were addressed in a letter by the National Organization of Persons with Disabilities of Serbia (NOOIS).

Namely, NOOIS stated in its letter that dialysis patients are one of the most vulnerable groups of chronic patients, who in regular circumstances go for treatment every other day or three times a week as needed, while increasing the interval between two dialysis jeopardizes the lives of patients. However, due to problems in the functioning of the hemodialysis and nephrology departments in many cities where severe kidney patients are treated on a daily basis, as well as the necessity to test for COVID-19, it happens that, due to having to wait for test results, dialysis patients have intervals of five days between two dialysis sessions, which is too long of a period that endangers the lives of the patients. The letter from NOOIS states that this problem occurred in the Ćuprija hospital in the previous period.

Having in mind the above, we believe that it is necessary to point out to all health care institutions the need to shorten the waiting time for test results on COVID-19 for such patients, in order to enable conditions for regular therapy admission, and thus prevent endangering their health.

Respecting all the results achieved in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality will, in accordance with her competencies, continue to monitor the situation and continuously point out the problems the most vulnerable categories of citizens face and address to us, and which need to be taken into account and considered when creating new or reviewing existing measures.

With respect,

COMMISSIONER FOR THE PROTECTION OF EQUALITY

Brankica Janković