Launch of the “hotline” public project

The All-Russian Union of Patients has announced the launch of a public project: a hotline offering legal assistance to citizens in defense of their rights to healthcare. As a part of the project, a hotline for patients started working in January 2018. Russian citizens can receive free consultations regarding any questions related to the protection of their rights to healthcare by calling the number: 8–800–500‑82‑66 (weekdays from 7AM to 10AM and from 2PM to 5PM Moscow Time). Experience shows that the most frequent questions citizens ask the All-Russian Union of Patients’ hotline are to do with drug provision benefits and various aspects of procuring medical care: getting in to see a specialist, waiting for an appointment, and the proper procedure for conducting all necessary examinations. All too often, patients are faced with the problem of being forced to pay for medical services.