Czech authorities deny treatment to a seriously ill Ukrainian man

22. 6. 2011 / Jan Čulík

Kostiantyn, a young Ukranian has been living in the Czech Republic since he was nineteen. Now he is 25 and he is paying for a commercial health insurance for basic health treatment. According to Czech law, he was forced to pay for the health insurance in a one-off payment for the whole two years in advance. Due to the fact that foreigners are now forced in the Czech Republic to pay large sums of money in advance for their health insurance, if they are to be allowed to stay in the country, people like Konstiantyn cannot afford a more comprehensive health insurance, which they could be paying for every month.

Kostiantyn has now fallen ill with acute lyphoblast leukemia. His health insurance company is refusing to pay for more treatment. There is very little time left and Konstiantyn is unable to help himself.

Anna Šourková, the hospital chaplain from the Haematology and blood transfusion institute in Prague has launched a public collection to finance further treatment of Kostiantyn, under the auspices of the Czech Brethren Evangelical church. Please make a financial contribution to this Czech bank account: 27196349/0800 variable symbol 198.

Kostiantyn's case is a shocking example of discrimination of foreigners in the Czech Republic. The denial of health care to a person threatened by death may constitute an infringement of basic human rights under European law.

Czech politicians do not care.

Please help.