site.btaCourt Rules in Favour of Hospital Fingerprint Identification

Court Rules in Favour of Hospital Fingerprint Identification

Sofia, February 3 (BTA) - A five-judge panel of the Supreme Administrative Court has decided against the suspension of a fingerprint identification system at hospitals. This reversed a November 21 ruling of the court's three-member panel, which suspended the system's operation until the final decision.

The five judges reasoned that the ordinance on fingerprint identification can be suspended only if it causes substantial damage. As it is, the patients' access to treatment and disease prevention is not curtailed, and the ordinance does not require payment or pose a risk to patients, the court said.

The rapporteur on the case, Marina Mihailova, filed a dissenting opinion, arguing that electronic authentication limits the patients' access to health care since there is no alternative to it for health insured persons. This contravenes the Personal Data Protection Act, according to Mihailova.