Oktay Gulalyev was denied the status of a disabled person

Baku/04.06.21/Turan: Oktay Gulalyev, a well-known human rights activist in Azerbaijan and coordinator of the Committee against Repressions and Tortures, was denied the status of a disabled person and the issue of disability benefits, according to the State Agency for Medical Social Expertise and Rehabilitation after a Turan' request.

Gulalyev's wife received an official confirmation of the refusal after she applied to this department. No response to their request was sent to the family.

On May 7, a conclusion of the medical advisory commission of the Baku polyclinic No. 36 in charge of a patient at his place of residence, was sent to this agency via DOST. After reviewing the report and finding no answers to the Agency's questions, the Agency refused to grant disability.

An Agency employee who reported this explained that the refusal was received automatically due to the lack of necessary information in the medical report, including main symptoms of the disease. The certificate drawn up in the polyclinic turned out to be "incomplete and superficial". The person who reported the refusal advised Gulalyev's family to contact the polyclinic again.

It should be noted that Oktay Gulalyev investigated and brought to the public cases of corruption in state structures and tortures in law enforcement agencies. He was repeatedly threatened with murder. On the evening of October 29, 2019, Oktay Gulalyev was taken to the hospital due to a taxi car accident while  walking along a pedestrian crossing. Doctors diagnosed Gulalyev with a fractured skull bone and brain damage.

On November 1, Oktay Gulalyev was transferred to the Republican Hospital of Neurosurgery. Then, with the help of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the patient was sent to Istanbul, where, after a difficult treatment, his condition gradually improved. The patient began to come out of a long coma.

Now Gulalyev continues treatment at home. He is immobile, in bed rest, unable to move. The wife says that Oktay understands speech and can communicate through weak motions.

Nevertheless, all the signs of a serious condition notwithstanding, the disability was not awarded because the doctors from the 36th polyclinic could not draw up a conclusion about his condition providing Gulalyev with disability and monetary allowance necessary for treatment and medicines.

Turan was told that even after receiving the Agency's properly compiled documents and disability status confirmation Gulalyev will receive state benefits from the date of official approval of his disabled status. The mistake of the doctors from the polyclinic cost the family of the human rights defender an incomplete disability benefit in the amount of, at least, one month's payment. Although Ogtay's wife Firuza Gulalyeva said that she applied to the polyclinic for disability registration after returning to Azerbaijan at the end of last year, a conclusion of the medical advisory commission was sent by Baku polyclinic No. 36 only on May 7 only.

Today, Firuza Gulalyeva sent a complaint to the Ministry of Health due to negligence of doctors.—0—