Inebriated and mentally handicapped patients to need guardians for medical treatment

ANKARA

Inebriated and mentally handicapped patients will need guardians to access medical treatment, according to the latest amendments to regulations defining patient rights, daily Cumhuriyet reported May 9.

The revised regulations introduce the criteria of “legal competence” in requesting medical treatment at hospitals, depriving drunks and medically deranged people from their patient rights.

In a same way as for minors, the new regulation requires the permission of a legal guardian before medical treatment is performed on the patients.

It states that any patient with legal competence should “have the ability to rationally understand and assess the results of a medical intervention.”

At the same time, a clause allowing the use of a translator in the event that the patient is not a native Turkish speaker has been removed.

Heavier measures have also been introduced for cases of violence committed against doctors.