MOSCOW, July 24 (RIA Novosti) – A Russian doctor at a maternity clinic has been disciplined for turning away a patient because of her religion, the regional branch of the health ministry has said.
Reports of the incident, in which a doctor in the Russian republic of Karelia in the country’s northwest refused to see the mother of a baby about 10 days ago, have been circulating widely on the Internet and in local media.
The patient, a Muslim, claimed that the doctor told her in no uncertain terms that she was refusing to examine her because of the patient's faith.
Although initially turned away, the mother of a two-month-old child was seen by the same doctor shortly after the incident, the BBC Russian Service reported.
Local media cited the patient as saying that the doctor who turned her away was Jewish, but this has not been independently confirmed.
The patient filed complaints with the local prosecutor, the consumer rights watchdog and human rights ombudsman, local media reported.
Karelia’s health ministry investigated the incident after reports surfaced on the Internet. The ministry classified the incident as having been motivated by racial or religious discrimination, and found that the doctor should have examined the patient.
Both the ministry and the clinic involved offered the patient their apologies in a statement posted on Tuesday on the Karelian health ministry’s website.
“Our establishment welcomes all patients, of all faiths and ethnic origins. This incident shocked everyone. The doctor has been disciplined,” the clinic’s chief doctor said. “I am certain this will not happen again, and once again offer my sincere apologies to the patient and people whose feelings were hurt.”
Although President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly praised Russia’s ethnic and religious diversity, the issues of race, ethnicity and faith remain sources of tension in communities across the country.
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