Parents came to visit their child in a sanatorium, but they were not allowed in. It ended with a call to the police
Alexei contacted the editorial office of Onliner and told about an unusual experience of visiting his daughter in a sanatorium. He claims that he arrived during the specially designated "parent hours" which were indicated on the stand, but was forced to communicate with his child through a fence. The man was not satisfied with this, and he called the police. What happened?
Last summer, there were reports that rules for visiting children in some children's camps and country complexes had become stricter. Parents faced situations where they were not always allowed on the premises to interact with their child. The restrictions are explained by sanitary norms.
Alexei was unaware of this practice and decided to visit his 6-year-old daughter last weekend — to bring food and see how the child was settled. The discussion is about the Ophthalmological Sanatorium "Akademia Zdorovya" (Academy of Health), which helps children with vision problems. Stays there last from 14 to 18 days.
The father claims that he arrived during the specially designated parent visiting hours — he saw the schedule on a stand. Judging by the photo, children can be visited at the sanatorium on Saturdays and Sundays.
— We arrived on Sunday around 12:20 PM. The camp was completely closed, gates, small gates, no one was around. A man from a car then advised us, saying, 'Call them on the phone.' A male voice answered, saying they wouldn't let me onto the territory to see my child. 'If you want, they can bring the child outside the territory.' To the question: 'How can I hand over food, pick up dirty clothes, see how the child is settled?' they said: 'No, sorry.' I said: 'So, you're restricting me, should I call the police?' — 'Yes, call them.' I had to call the police.
About five minutes later, a man came, introduced himself as a guard. He started contacting the security service and said: 'I won't let the children out.' His instruction was: since the police were called, everything is under strict control.
The police arrived about an hour later, Alexei recalls. Before that, he continued to negotiate with the sanatorium employee. At the parents' request, a caregiver came out to the fence — brought the child, brought out dirty clothes, and took the food.
As the father assures, he had to communicate with his child through the fence.
— It was minus 7 degrees Celsius outside, we froze, got into the car, waiting for the police. At that time, we observed a scene where parents were feeding their children through the gates, through the fence, because they were fundamentally not allowed out. Then, apparently, common sense [prevailed], and he started letting children out to their parents. I, naturally, approached: 'What kind of discrimination is this, my child was not let out, but others are? Why make any exceptions?' They replied that I had called the police.
As Alexei assures, he did not raise his voice with the sanatorium employee and behaved calmly.
When the police arrived, the parents told their version of events and hurried home (they had a small child with them), while the 6-year-old daughter remained at the sanatorium. Her stay has not yet ended. The parents do not yet know how the next visit will go.
Alexei had not contacted the camp administration, but remained dissatisfied with the situation.
— As a child, I myself was in camps, sanatoriums, and parents freely entered and visited on visiting days. As they later told me at the police station: the rules have become stricter. But there should still be some kind of room, parents could communicate with children in an assembly hall. Not meet with children in the frost and feed them! — the reader wonders.
Alexei provided the editorial office with a document that the sanatorium employee referred to. It states that "visiting children at unscheduled times is prohibited." However, it does not specify where exactly one can communicate with a child during permitted hours — on the complex's territory, outside it, or near the fence. Explanations on how parent visits are organized were also not found on the website.
However, the rules of stay separately state how food can be delivered. The document says that parents can "non-contactually hand over food and necessary items through the sanatorium's checkpoint daily from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM."
In the sanatorium's sales department, parents' questions are answered by stating that if desired, children can be visited, but by arrangement with the caregivers in special gazebos. However, entering the buildings where children live is not possible for outsiders "due to preventive security measures," as there is currently a wave of respiratory illnesses.
Journalists also contacted the sanatorium's management with a request to comment on the conflict situation and to elaborate on the rules for parental visits. The manager refused to communicate by phone and asked for a written inquiry to be sent. There has been no response yet.
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