Mikhail Mishustin: “It is now essential that we continue increasing the vaccination pace. This is the only way to stop the virus from spreading further. Furthermore, we need to keep testing at an adequate level and in a timely manner in the regions in order to identify those who have become sick, and to help them and make sure others stay safe.”
Excerpts from the transcript:
Mikhail Mishustin: Good afternoon, colleagues.
We are continuing to fight the coronavirus across the country. We discussed this topic at a meeting with the President in the middle of last week. The President emphasised that our main goal is to do everything we can to protect the lives and health of citizens, and minimise the damage from this dangerous virus.
For this, we need to mobilise our healthcare system’s reserves and capacity. The Government has allocated over 56 billion roubles in additional funding to this effect. The necessary documents have been signed, and the regions are receiving these funds, primarily for providing medical assistance to people suffering from COVID-19, and the suspected cases. People still get healthcare services for free in all regions of the Russian Federation through their mandatory health insurance policies.
In addition, the Government has allocated over 4 billion roubles to buy special hospital treatments for coronavirus patients. This will buy us at least half a million vials of antiviral drugs, so they are available at the hospitals. This is especially important for patients in the first few days of treatment.
Also, the Government will allocate funding for the state registration of medicines and medical equipment. Some 300 million roubles will be earmarked for this. The number of submissions for testing recently developed drugs has been growing. We also need to make sure that the documents for some products comply with the Eurasian Economic Union’s requirements. This decision will help control the quality of the new medicines and bring them to the market without delay so people can get them.
Colleagues, we see that the situation with the coronavirus is extremely challenging in all Russian regions. The incidence rate is very high. Unfortunately, there are many severely ill patients in hospitals right now. These are primarily those who did not get their jabs when they could. The doctors are fighting for their lives.
It is now essential that we continue increasing the vaccination pace. This is the only way to stop the virus from spreading further. Furthermore, we need to keep testing at an adequate level and in a timely manner in the regions in order to identify those who have become sick, and to help them and make sure others stay safe.
I am asking the heads of the Russian regions to keep a close eye on maintaining momentum in terms of testing and vaccination during the upcoming non-working days that were declared by the President.
The regions can enact their own additional measures depending on the situation, as well as increase the number of non-working days. Many regions in the Russian Federation have already taken decisions to this effect.
