Ministry of Health ordered to pay 40,000 rubles by court ruling
In a landmark decision, a court in Yakutia ordered the Ministry of Health to pay a diabetic resident, M., 40,000 rubles in moral damages due to the lack of subsidized medicine. The ruling, made on May 13, 2025, also included an additional 2,815 rubles 15 kopecks in damages, although it remains unclear if this amount is included in the 40,000 rubles or is an additional sum.
The lawsuit, filed on M.'s behalf against the Ministry of Health, the Lensk Central District Hospital, and the Lensk Central Pharmacy, demanded compensation of 2,812.15 rubles and moral damages of 100,000 rubles. The court's decision does not specify if it applies to all similar cases in the future or just this specific one.
The trial established that the absence of necessary medications in Lensk pharmacies has been occurring more frequently. M., a resident eligible for federal and regional subsidies for medication, was unable to obtain a prescribed, subsidized medication from the Lensk Central Pharmacy on January 21, 2025.
The court considered M.'s advanced age and previous medical profession in determining the amount of compensation. However, it is not specified whether M. has received the compensation or not.
It is also not clear if the other defendants, the Republican State Budgetary Institution "Lensk Central District Hospital" and the Municipal Unitary Enterprise "Lensk Central Pharmacy of the Lensk District," were ordered to pay any damages or compensation. The court's decision does not address the frequency of medication shortages in Lensk pharmacies beyond what was previously established, nor does it clarify if it was demanded that M. receive compensation for all losses or just the losses on January 21, 2025.
This case underscores the importance of healthcare providers meeting their obligations to provide necessary subsidized medication, as failure to do so can result in harm or distress for patients, potentially leading to moral damages being awarded. For more precise information, it may be advisable to check local news sources or official legal announcements from Yakutia or relevant Russian health authorities for updates on healthcare and patient rights cases.
In this case, the lack of subsidized medicine for a diabetic resident's medical condition highlights the importance of science and health-and-wellness in ensuring patients receive necessary medications. The court's decision to award moral damages supports the assertion that medical-conditions require timely and proper care for the health and wellbeing of the individual.
