During 2016, 2564 appeals were received. The most common themes were: contact information of sites of OST, reception of a drug by prescription and directly at a medical institution, organizing a home hospital, administrative statements of patients, reception of drugs in the remand centres and temporary detention facilities, preventing drug dependence and obtaining information about existing rehabilitation centers, prevention and treatment of hepatitis C .
Based on the appeals received, 148 new strategic cases of SMT clients (cases) support were opened, according to which positive decisions were reached in 116 cases, which is more than 78%. During the implementation of cases, 148 letters and requests were sent to the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, the General Prosecutor’s Office and regional prosecutors, the Ombudsman, the heads of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Police, the leadership of the regional State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine, the chief doctors of the local drug stores, the regional coordinators of SMT, NGOs accompanying projects for medical and psychosocial support of SMT sites, for which 93 responses were received. Among the main problematic cases are the following: the issuance of SMT drug in the remand centres, prevention of police intervention in the activities of sites and medical staff, recovery in the program, assistance in obtaining a drug in the hospital.
Representatives of the “Hope and Trust” Foundation, among which the National Hotline operators also participated in national and international events during the year, among which are:
— three meetings of the interdepartmental working group of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on SMT issues;
— Third National Scientific and Practical Conference on HIV/AIDS «For Every Life Together: Accelerating to the Goal of 90-90-90»;
— working meeting with the head of the department of special productions of the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the violation of the rights of patients of SMT by law enforcement and penitentiary services;
— the final working meeting on HIV/AIDS and law enforcement activities;
— working meetings on the project of «forced migrants — patients of OST»;
— working meeting with Head of the Global Fund Grants Management Unit Mark Edington;
— participation in international trainings and seminars.
Also throughout the year, we were partners of the Global Fund in the joint campaign «Time to Communicate» on combating corruption in the implementation of the program of opioid substitution therapy.
A number of publications in the newspapers «Motykel», «Do not Go», and also the article on OST problems in the report «Human rights in the field of health care — 2015-2016» were posted on the activities of the National Hotline.