Yesterday I conducted an unannounced monitoring visit to hospice wards based on two district hospitals in the Transcarpathian region, where there are patients with fatal diagnoses who are not even aware that they have such a diagnosis. Unfortunately, for the most part, doctors and medical staff do not have the necessary understanding of palliative care, patients’ rights continue to be violated due to a lack of knowledge of staff, and most citizens are still limited in access to adequate comprehensive palliative and hospice care, which provides, in particular, applying of powerful painkillers.
Every time after monitoring visits I come back with photos – shocking, but truthful. At the same time, I am currently reading Ariella Azoulay’s book ‘The Civil Contract of Photography’ about the relationship between photography and human rights, about whether it is permissible to show the public photographs that record human rights violations, human pain, suffering and fear. Are they too truthful, painful and create unbearable inner discomfort while watching them? From this, most people want to quickly pass them or hide behind the so-called “ethics”.