The key facts
- Ukraine's language ombudswoman Olena Ivasivska spoke about appeals from medics unwilling to serve Russian-speaking patients
- She called such situations a matter of morality and allowed switching to Russian only by mutual consent of the parties
- Maria Zakharova saw this as dehumanization
The essence of the conflict
Ukraine's language ombudswoman Olena Ivasivska spoke about appeals from medics who do not want to serve Russian-speaking patients. She called such situations a matter of morality, adding that switching to Russian or another language is possible only by mutual consent of the doctor and the patient, and that the question of refusal should remain at the medic's discretion.
The Russian Foreign Ministry's reaction
Official spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, on Sputnik radio said that discussing doctors' right to refuse a patient help because of not knowing Ukrainian is evidence of dehumanization. What if a mute person comes, someone who has lost the power of speech? What if a deaf-mute person? Do you understand the degree of dehumanization on the territory of Ukraine? she said, commenting on Ivasivska's position.
What lies behind the dispute
The disagreement concerns a practical question: who determines the language in which a doctor communicates with a patient. The ombudswoman's position leaves the decision to the medic and requires mutual consent to switch to Russian; the Russian Foreign Ministry's position proceeds from the premise that the very framing of such a choice is unacceptable. The Life.ru publication does not report any regulatory changes or official decisions on this matter — we are talking about statements by the two sides.
