Prime Minister declares readiness to implement supported decision-making

On July 7, in a letter to the Prime Minister, the Ombudsman called for an urgent implementation of supported decision-making for people with mental disabilities – a service where decision-making is facilitated through the help of assistants. Without such a system, many of these people still cannot fully exercise their capacity to act. On August 10, the Ombudsman received a reply from Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, in which the government confirmed its readiness to implement supported decision-making.

The Ombudsman calls on people to be vigilant when choosing a workplace and be aware of the human trafficking risks

The Ombudsman calls on people to be very careful when choosing a workplace, as trafficking in human beings is as prevalent as ever. Tempting job offers are often hiding unfair conditions and even criminal acts. In 2021, 61 cases of trafficking in human beings were detected in Latvia. Of these, 53 were cases of labour exploitation, in which 49 of the victims were men and 4 were women. 7 women were subjected to sexual exploitation, 1 – to a forced marriage.

The Ombudsman criticises statements by Amnesty International on the situation on the Latvian-Belarusian border

On August 9, the Ombudsman sent a letter to the Amnesty International (AI) Director of the Europe Regional Office Nils Muižnieks regarding the organisation’s statements on the situation on the Latvian-Belarusian border. According to the Ombudsman, these statements lack factual evidence and do not accurately reflect the situation on the Latvian-Belarusian border in summer 2021 – winter 2022. In his letter, the Ombudsman asked AI to avoid the publication of biased, incorrect and defamatory statements.

Representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office visit border control posts in Terehova and Grebņeva

On July 19, Deputy Ombudsman Ineta Piļāne, together with other representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office, visited the border control posts in Terehova and Grebņeva. The visit was carried out in response to information received about a growing number of people from Ukraine who are entering Latvia from Russia, with the aim to transit through Latvia to reach other destinations in Europe.

During the visit, representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office paid special attention to reducing the risks of trafficking in human beings and made recommendations on improving the availability of information on assistance/aid.

Launch of the new website of the Ombudsman’s Office – now more accessible and user-friendly

On July 20, after an extensive period of research and development, the new version of the Ombudsman’s Office website www.tiesibsargs.lv was launched. The new website is more accessible to people with disabilities and more user-friendly for every visitor of the website. It was developed in cooperation with accessibility experts and users.

Announcement of the winners of the competition “Let Human Rights Speak!”

In August, the article contest “Let Human Rights Speak!” took place for the first time. It was organised by the Baltic Human Rights Society (platform Cilvektiesibas.info) and the Ombudsman. To be able to submit an article, the contestant had to be a student of an accredited bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral level law study programme, or a legal practitioner born after 1 January 1990. The Ombudsman’s award was received by Valērija Ruta Hartmane who wrote an article “Palliative Care in Latvia in the Context of International and National Obligations”.

El síndic de Greuges, Ángel Luna, pide a la Conselleria de Sanidad y Salud Pública que permita al paciente acceder, con su SIP, al Registro Individualizado de Lista de Espera de Consultas Externas y Pruebas diagnósticas/terapéuticas, al igual que al de la Lista de Espera quirúrgica, para que pueda saber, en tiempo real y a diario, qué posición concreta ocupa en la lista de espera de su tratamiento u operación pendiente.

Esa información es esencial para que los pacientes incluidos en las listas de espera puedan controlar y exigir a Sanidad su derecho a recibir prestaciones, en igualdad de condiciones, y en un tiempo máximo. No disponer de ella, les deja en un estado de indefensión.

Esta institución, tras concluir su investigación de oficio sobre la transparencia de las listas de espera sanitaria, destaca que la Conselleria de Sanidad no detalla ningún obstáculo jurídico o técnico que impida conocer la situación del paciente en la lista de espera de consultes externas y pruebas diagnósticas/terapéuticas”, y le afea que tampoco exprese ningún compromiso temporal sobre cuándo los pacientes tendrán acceso a esta información.

En cuanto a las listas de espera quirúrgicas, el Síndic es consciente de que es el personal facultativo quien decide la prioridad atendiendo a las razones médicas y no a al tiempo que lleve una persona esperando una operación. Ahora bien “una vez decidida dicha prioridad y, sin perjuicio de que la misma cambie en función de la evolución del estado de salud, los pacientes deberían poder conocer el lugar que van ocupando diariamente en la lista de espera”.

El Síndic también apunta que, en el informe enviado por Sanidad en respuesta a las cuestiones planteadas en la queja de oficio, no se detallan las tareas que se han realizado hasta el momento de forma centralizada para reducir las demoras. De ahí que inste a la Conselleria de Sanidad a impulsar el funcionamiento real y efectivo de las oficinas de control de la demora constituidas en cada departamento de salud.

Asimismo, Luna recomienda a Sanidad que publique en la página web información sobre las listas de espera de consultes externas y pruebas diagnósticas, porque actualmente solo aparecen las listas de espera quirúrgicas. Todo ello con la finalidad de conocer los datos globales y la situación por departamentos, especialidades y patologías.

A continuación, se detallan los datos publicados por la Conselleria de Sanidad en su página web en el momento en el que se redactó esta resolución del Síndic, que corresponden a las listas de espera quirúrgicas del mes de junio de 2022.

12 September 2022

Ombudsman Rob Behrens, commenting on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II:

I would like to express my deep sorrow at the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. Colleagues at the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman join me to express our condolences to the Royal Family. We will remember the Queen for her tireless public service and dedication to our country and the Commonwealth across her 70-year reign.

On Wednesday, 7 September 2022, the Ombudsman Peter Svetina held interviews with people who thought that he could help them exercise their rights. Fourteen people applied for interviews with the Ombudsman and his colleagues. On that day, Ombudsman Svetina also met with Deputy Mayor Zoran Hoblaj, who is temporarily the acting Mayor of the Municipality of Murska Sobota, and he also visited the Special Social Care and Employment Centre (VDC) in Murska Sobota and the Pomurje Personal Assistance Institute.

With the Deputy Mayor and the Municipal Administration Director, Milena Vöröš, they discussed the municipality projects and the participation of other Pomurje municipalities in these projects, the drawing of European funds, the municipality's concern for the environment and vulnerable groups, also touching in this light on the threat of energy poverty. They also discussed the issue of long-term care and agreed that deinstitutionalisation is the right direction in providing care for people, and that certain changes in such care, as assessed by the Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Murska Sobota, could even be achieved through internal deinstitutionalisation.

The Ombudsman pointed out that for many years he had been advocating that free legal assistance should become a type of public service, as the first step made by a person concerned is essential in exercising their rights, and this first step can sometimes be efficient only with the appropriate guidance of persons qualified in law. The Deputy Mayor emphasised that he was pleased with low unemployment, but was concerned about the complex procedures of hiring foreign labour, as well as the development of smaller municipalities in the future. The two interlocutors also touched on intolerant attitudes towards foreigners; the Deputy Mayor recalled the destinies of many Pomurje residents who were forced to seek their daily bread abroad in certain past periods, and many still continue to do so today, so any intolerance towards persons seeking opportunities for a better life is unfounded, senseless and unacceptable.

At the Murska Sobota Special Social Care and Employment Centre, its Director Angela Benko Lang presented their work to the Ombudsman. They talked about projects, the issues of long-term care and personal assistance and touched on easy reading. In the discussion, the Ombudsman stressed that public institutions must be fully financed by the state, without them having to collect part of their funds through various charity events.

At a meeting with the team of the Pomurje Personal Assistance Institute, he spoke about outstanding issues in personal assistance and undertook to look into certain ambiguities.

The Ombudsman’s institution operated in the Municipality of Murska Sobota for the last time in 2016, but the Ombudsman’s colleagues visit the Pomurje region at least once a year, when they are not always available just in Murska Sobota, but also in other parts of Pomurje.

Der Nachbar von Herrn L. züchtet seit Jahren hobbymäßig Labradore in seinem Garten. Zehn Hunde oder mehr sind im nachbarlichen Garten untergebracht. Herr L. klagt deshalb seit Jahren über eine unzumutbare Lärm- und Geruchsbelästigung, durch die er sich massiv gestört fühlt. Der Konflikt zwischen den Nachbarn besteht mittlerweile seit Jahren und bisher ist keine Lösung in Sicht. Herr L. wandte sich deshalb hilfesuchend an die Volksanwaltschaft und bat um Unterstützung. Im Studio der Sendung „Bürgeranwalt“ diskutierte Volksanwältin Gaby Schwarz mit dem Bürgermeister der Gemeinde und den Nachbarn über mögliche Lösungen.

Die Frage, die sich im Studio stellte, ist, ob eine Hundezucht im Bauland-Wohngebiet überhaupt erlaubt ist. Der Bürgermeister der Gemeinde ist um einen rechtskonformen Zustand bemüht und versuchte bereits mehrfach zwischen den Nachbarn zu vermitteln. Die Volksanwältin stellte jedoch klar, dass eine Hundezucht, egal ob hobby- oder gewerbsmäßig, nicht in einem Wohngebiet betrieben werden kann. „Der Bürgermeister als Baubehörde hätte die Nutzung für die Hundezucht untersagen müssen“, so die Volksanwältin. Im Studio erklärte der Bürgermeister, der Nachbar habe aktuell einen Antrag auf Nutzung als Gewerbe gestellt und werde der Volksanwaltschaft diese Unterlagen zur Verfügung stellen. Die Volksanwältin sagte zu, diese neuen Unterlagen zu prüfen. In der derzeitigen Situation bleibe die Nutzung allerdings unzulässig. Die Volksanwaltschaft bleibt an dem Fall weiter dran.

Auto durch Baumschnitt der Gemeinde beschädigt – wer übernimmt die Kosten der Reparatur?

Herr A. aus Wien hatte sein Auto ordnungsgemäß unter einem Baum eingeparkt. Dieser wurde wenige Stunden danach vom Wiener Stadtgartenamt, der MA 42, beschnitten. Ein Ast habe dabei eine Delle an seinem Auto verursacht, sagt Herr A. Die Mitarbeiter der MA 42, die die Baumschnittarbeiten durchführten, behaupten allerdings das Gegenteil. Da die Versicherung der MA 42 den Schaden nicht bezahlen wollte, wandte sich Herr A. an die Volksanwaltschaft.

Volksanwältin Gaby Schwarz erklärte im Studio die Situation und dass vor allem eine Sache einzuhalten gewesen sei: „Abgesehen davon, dass noch überall das Schnittgut in der Nähe des Autos lag, hätte der Baumschnitt angekündigt werden müssen. Das ist leider nicht passiert.“ Nach Einschreiten der Volksanwaltschaft erklärte sich die Versicherung der Stadt Wien bereit, Herrn A. den Schaden zu ersetzen.

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LINKS

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