Starting in January, cancer patients will travel cheaper: they were advised how to get there with 80 percent. discount on public transport

According to Neringa Čiakienė, Director of the Oncology Patient Assistance Association (POLA), who initiated the amendments to the Transportation Benefits Act, cancer patients cannot acquire the status of disabled person while receiving active treatment, so they do not receive benefits or benefits, even if they are long-term treatments decreases.

As 11 municipalities have already requested a discount on the purchase of suburban and local buses with the POLA card, we know that the discount for transport for cancer patients is especially relevant and necessary. Oncology patients receive treatment in only 5 major cities, which receive visits from all over Lithuania. Since the active treatment cycle lasts for 6 months. for up to several years, the benefits of transportation will contribute significantly to the social well-being of these patients and will allow the funds saved to be allocated to treatment and improvement of the quality of life, ”says N. Čiakienė.

To take advantage of public transportation, cancer patients will need to present a POLA card and ID when purchasing a ticket. About this provision in 2020 December 16 The Ministry of Transport and Communications informed the Lithuanian Transport Security Administration, the Association of Lithuanian Municipalities, UAB LTG Link and AB Smiltynės perkėla in writing, requesting that the information provided in the letter is forwarded to carriers, other people who sell passenger transport tickets, people who carry out control of passenger transport and other interested parties. countries.

The POLA card can be requested on the website www.pola.lt by completing the registration data and sending the documents that confirm the diagnosis of the disease. The card is issued free of charge, only a 1 EUR shipping fee is charged. The POLA card can be requested and used by people with a diagnosis of oncological disease, regardless of when and at what stage the disease was diagnosed.

After quarantine, the POLA card can be ordered not only online, but can also be obtained by contacting one of the organization’s volunteers in 32 Lithuanian cities. Currently, 17 thousand people use the POLA card. oncology patients.

POLA cardholders also receive free legal, psychological, nutritional and alternative lifestyle advice, and can take advantage of discounts on medications, medical exams and other goods and services offered by more than 100 card members. Cardholders regularly receive relevant information on cancer research and treatment, and are invited to participate in physician conferences, art therapy classes, and dance. It collaborates with more than 70 cultural institutions that offer free invitations to theaters and concerts for cancer patients with a POLA card.

In initiating the amendment of the Transportation Benefits Law and its implementation, POLA actively cooperated with the Ministry of Social Security and Labor, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and the Government Chancellery.

“One of the objectives of POLA is to fight for the rights of cancer patients. This example confirms that a strong non-governmental organization can effectively represent the interests of its members, actively participate in legislative processes, concentrate the efforts of different institutions for a common goal ”, emphasized N. Čiakienė, Director of POLA.