Access to information on health services during the epidemic was limited in Kyrgyzstan. Results of the study Observance of Social and Economic Rights amid Coronavirus Epidemic in the Kyrgyz Republic say.
The study was conducted by the Association of NGOs for the Promotion of the Rights and Interests of Children in the Kyrgyz Republic with the support of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Kyrgyzstan.
The study was carried out in the period from June 16 to July 22, 2020 in several stages.
According to the study, despite the information provided daily at briefings by the government, the analysis showed that access to reliable and complete information about the current epidemic situation, the number of infected, COVID-19 patients, preventive, anti-epidemic and treatment measures was limited.
The information that was voiced during the briefings most often reflected statistical data on the number of patients and those who recovered from COVID-19 (information on regions, gender and age, the number of sick doctors and law enforcement officials was announced separately).
As part of the survey, the majority of respondents noted that they received information about the requirements of the state of emergency, emergency situation and about COVID-19 mainly from social media, Telegram channels, the mass media, friends and acquaintances, relatives working at state and municipal bodies, as well as at their place of work.
«All the respondents indicated that there was a huge amount of conflicting information about prevention, diagnosis and treatment, as well as rehabilitation in the media, on social media. The choice of the source of information about the new coronavirus and measures to combat it was based on trust in it and knowledge of the relevant language,» the study says.
The main sources used by the population to understand the epidemiological situation with COVID-19, measures of effective prevention, timely detection and treatment, rehabilitation in cases of illness were Russian information channels, including the websites of the relevant state bodies.
In addition, WHO messages and foreign information portals were used.
The study also mentions the refusal of the commandant of Bishkek, Almazbek Orozaliev, to issue accreditation to the media during the state of emergency, justified by his concern for the health of journalists.
This decision was taken negatively by the media and human rights activists.
The information provided by government agencies, including health authorities, did not cover the needs of the population for information about the new coronavirus, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.
The researchers also noted a high level of mistrust in the information from government agencies in the media on COVID-19 regarding statistical data.
The information of the medical workers themselves, health experts about the diagnosis and treatment, rehabilitation was contradictory and ambiguous, it was debatable.
