Authorities to entrepreneurs: sickness absence is unpaid

• 4.02.2008, 11:40

Entrepreneurs resent that clinics deny them sick leave certificates without a note they had paid taxes. Medical workers refer to an instruction they are carrying out.

Entrepreneur Alena Trushchanka said to Radio Svaboda, she visited children’s clinic №19 with her son. A doctor said to her, she would receive a sick leave certificate only after she would show a certificate of paying taxes.

Alena said she was nonplussed and didn’t know what to answer:

“Entrepreneurs are pressed even in clinics.”

The administration of the clinic №19 didn’t comment on the situation. We have phoned to the children’s clinic №1 to learn whether such cases happen in other clinics.

Chief of department Zhanna Karpitskaya explained:

“There is an instruction: if an entrepreneur allocates money for the of social protection fund, he or she will receive a sick leave certificate, if not, he or she receives only a medical certificate.”

Entrepreneurs resent and refer to the fact their and their children medical cards are in the record departments of the state district clinics, and as they are not denied appointments, they should have equal with other patients rights.