In 30 April 2009 correspondence with the Research Directorate, a consular officer of the Embassy of Ukraine in Ottawa indicated that medical cards/booklets are regulated by the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and are used to record a history of an individual's health condition (Ukraine 30 Apr. 2009). The medical cards/booklets are usually stored at the local hospital of the patient's residence (ibid.; Canada 5 Oct. 2009). According to the Consular Officer, if a patient moves, he or she may be given the records personally in order to submit them to the hospital or clinic at the new place of residence (Ukraine 30 Apr. 2009). The Consular Officer stated that the medical cards/booklets have a "wide range of usage" such as to prove a disability or, alternatively, to prove good health (ibid.). According to the Consular Officer, medical cards/booklets or their extracts may be used as evidence in court cases (ibid.).
In 5 October 2009 correspondence with the Research Directorate, an official at the Embassy of Canada in Kyiv indicated that there is another type of medical booklet, different from the one described by the Ukrainian Consular Officer, which is kept by some employers, such as kindergartens or those in the food industry (Canada 5 Oct. 2009). According to the Official, this type of medical booklet is used to record the results of medical check-ups related to work (ibid.). The Official asserted that the employee typically does not have access to this medical booklet, as it is kept by the employer (ibid.). The Official indicated that personal injuries are registered in the patient's records at the hospital or clinic rather than in the type of medical booklet kept by employers (ibid.).
Further information about medical cards/booklets in the Ukraine could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Canada. 5 October 2009. Embassy of Canada in Kyiv. Correspondence with an Immigration Programme Assistant.
Ukraine. 30 April 2009. Embassy of Ukraine in Canada. Correspondence with a Consular Officer.
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), European Country of Origin Information Network (ecoi.net), Factiva, Freedom House, Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Refworld, Ukrainian Government, Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union.