ACTIVITIES OF THE ASSOCIATION OF THE ORGANIZATIONS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS

Abstract

During the first six months, the Association of the Organizations for Disabled People in the Republic of Macedonia, besides its everyday activities, was included in the work of the National Coordinative Body for Equal Rights, which in the meantime held three round table discussions on the following topics:

1. Health Insurance and Health Care of People with Disabilities held on 26 January 2005. The following conclusions were brought:

• To establish New Regional Centers for follow up of children with risk factors and to provide better cooperation between these centers and the centers for social work.
• To form more Regional Commissions for determining specific needs of people with disabilities and to provide free of charge service for the beneficiaries.
• To revoke any kind of participation for the orthopedic aids, to revoke urgently participations for orthosis that have the same function as prostheses, i.e. substitute for the lost function of the extremities.
• To provide good market price and higher European standard of the aids.
• To provide wider assortment of aids according to the new technological achievements in the world.
• To provide available insight into the firms which produce and distribute aids and to provide control for better quality and standards.
• To train assistants to help people with disabilities in hospitals or other places where necessary.
• The State to provide conditions for recreation and physical activities of people with disabilities to improve their health. The National Coordinative Body for Equal Rights of People with Disabilities in RM should engage itself this conclusion to be carried out.
• To widen the Positive medication list with specific medications for people with disabilities and to provide their constant availability.
• To impose on the Health Insurance Fund of Macedonia to anticipate financial means for implementation of cochlear implants, especially for very young children. To change and to add new legal regulations in order to provide conditions for cochlear implant operations with deaf people in our country.
• There should be some changes in the Law on Health Care in order to provide health care for certain categories of disabled people, enabling them health spa treatment covered by the Health Insurance Fund. We suggest this right to refer to all other categories of disabled people as before.
• The Ministry of Health and the Health Insurance Fund are asked to reply to the National Coordinative Body for Equal Rights of People with Disabilities in RM regarding the suggested conclusions:
• Whether they accept or not the suggested conclusions, and to explain the reasons if the answer is no.
• What the possibilities to carry out each conclusion separately are and the plan and dynamic of their implementation.