Belarusian deputies adopted a bill on compulsory examination and treatment of persons with dangerous diseases

April 4, Minsk / Yekaterina Nechayeva - BELTA /. The House of Representatives deputies today adopted in the first reading the draft law on preventing the spread of diseases dangerous to public health, HIV, and guaranteeing the rights of citizens with such diseases, a BELTA correspondent reports. The draft law, in particular, provides for the possibility of compulsory examination for socially dangerous diseases and compulsory hospitalization of patients with such ailments. As for HIV infection, in this case, the bill only stipulates the possibility of compulsory or voluntary examination. Voluntary examination can be both anonymous and explicit, and is carried out free of charge in any medical institution in the country. Deputies today also adopted in the first reading the bill on providing psychiatric care. As deputy Oleg Sakadinets told reporters, one of the most important provisions of the document establishes the presumption of absence of mental illness in Belarus, meaning no one has the right to call a person mentally ill until a corresponding diagnosis is made by a qualified medical commission. According to the deputy, the bill also expands the rights of patients with mental illnesses and the rights of medical workers. In addition, parliamentarians voted to adopt in the first reading the bill, which amends the law on social protection guarantees for orphans and children left without parental care. -0-