Access to information about the work of the regional health center

Vanya Paunova v. Director of the Regional Health Center (RHC) of Veliko Turnovo
Court case № 18/2003 of the Regional court of Veliko Turnovo /RCVT/

Vanya Paunova, a reporter for Yantra Today newspaper filed two information requests (№ 5356/15.11.2002 and № 5367/21.11.2002) to the Director of the RHC in Veliko Turnovo. The reporter requested information about the work of the RHC, like the funds allocated to general practitioners, regional demographic and health status data, etc.
The request resulted in a letter by the RHC director to the chief editor of Yantra Today newspaper № 5356/21.11.2002г. The RHC director made comments on some of the previous publications of the reporter and requested that the chief editor appoint another journalist to work on health-care issues. Access to information was provided only in relation to item 6 from оне of the reqуest (demografic health status data).

After receiving the letter of the RHC director the journalist contacted the lawyers of AIP, who prepared an appeal to the RCVT, submitted a written statement and provided court representation.

With decision № 299 from 20.06.2003 the RCVT reversed the refusal of the RHC director and obliged him to review them and issue a decision taking into concideration the motives of the court decision.