Paediatrician Zuzana Pechočiaková, dismissed inspector Ľubica Lapinová and samizdat publisher Oleg Pastier were presented with the 2014 White Crow award by the Fair-Play Alliance and VIA IURIS on Monday. It is an award for citizens showing courage in defending the civil society’s values, introduced in 2008.
Doctor Zuzana Pechočiaková was demoted by Nitra Faculty Hospital management last year after pointing out that certain information in the health documentation of an infant had been blanked out illicitly. The child was first treated for pneumonia with Gentamicin at Nitra Hospital. As his condition wasn't improving, his parents decided to take him to Bratislava University Hospital. According to the father, they were told in Bratislava that young Michal had nearly died of an overdose of the aforementioned drug. It was this information that was blanked out of the child's health records. The scandal eventually led to the dismissal of hospital deputy director Alena Durišova. “There have been times when I cried a lot over the whole affair, but I'd report the wrongdoing again. Nevertheless, I'm sorry that people from the hospital who had negative attitudes towards me still haven't apologised after I was proved right”, said Pechočiaková , who was reinstated to her previous position.
In 2011 Ľubica Lapinová, a former inspector of the National Forestry Centre, revealed violations of the law in public tenders worth more than €500,000 in total. She was fired after refusing to comply when the centre's director demanded that she should modify the inspection results. The Financial Control Administration confirmed her findings. She's currently taking legal action over the validity of her dismissal. “Of course, I would do it again because otherwise society will not go forward”, said Lapinová who worked in the National Forest Centre for 32 years. The third laureate, Oleg Pastier is known as a publisher and author of poetry and radio features. He was one of the key figures of the civil samizdat movement during the Communist regime.
