The video was recorded during the Prime Minister's visit to the Federal Centre of Neurosurgery in Tyumen on 20 December 2013.
Healthcare policy brings positive results
Dmitry Medvedev: Good afternoon. I’m in the federal neurosurgical centre in Tyumen. It was launched just two years ago but today people from most different places, such as Siberia and the Urals, are coming here already.
We are all human and sometimes get sick and we are all equal in front of a disease. Therefore, heathcare concerns each and everyone of us. I realise that there are many problems in our healthcare system and they cannot be resolved all at the same time. However, I’d like to emphasise that the Government will continue developing this system. We’ve always found money for healthcare, even in the most complicated period and this policy is already producing results.
We’ve just held a meeting of the Presidium on implementing national projects and discussed how to make the most intricate, high-tech aid accessible to all people in the country. The number of patients receiving high-tech aid (let me emphasise that they receive it at the expense of the federal budget) has increased more than eight times – from 60,000 in 2006 to 500,000 this year, and the figure for the last eight years is 2.3 million people. It includes 350,000 children who were rendered very intricate high-tech assistance. There are plans to increase the number of high-tech operations by 50 % in two years. High-tech aid centres facilitate the reduction of the death rate from different diseases. Thus, we’ve considerably reduced the number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases in the last few years.
According to Rosstat (Federal State Statistics Service), the number of births has surpassed the number of deaths by 17,000 people before October this year. This figure is very important for us because in the past we had bad statistics on this score.
We’ve already built 23 perinatal centres and will build more than 30 in the regions that need them badly in the next three years. I’d like to point out that, distinct from run-of-the-mill maternity homes, such centres make it possible to tend to babies with a small body weight – from half a kilo. These centres, as well as maternity capital and other Government measures of support for families with children, have already increased the birth rate. During the first 10 months of this year over 1.5 million babies were born – almost 5,000 more than during the same period last year. We’ve also reduced infant mortality, which is a very important indicator. It has decreased considerably in half of our regions.
We’ve completed the modernisation of many healthcare facilities in the regions, such as community health centres, city and rural hospitals and rural outpatient clinics. I’d also like to mention a good programme – Rural Doctor – that has encouraged about 8,000 young physicians to work in rural areas. There were no incentives for this before.
I’d like to emphasise again that there are many problems in our healthcare system, but some of them are engendered not only by objective reasons but also by fears.
People are mostly afraid that they will have to pay for each visit to a doctor. This is not right. In general, medical assistance remains free. We have preserved a free medical services package, to which people are entitled by law. It is guaranteed to every citizen. By the way, I’ve recently conducted a meeting and signed the instructions to the Ministry of Healthcare, the Fund of Compulsory Medical Insurance and our authorities to watch the quality of medical services and their funding with public money. These funds should arrive in each hospital and be used on every patient. We will toughen our control of insurance companies, which also receive funds from the budget. The system of medical care should take into account the health specifics of the local population because they are different in every region.
In addition, people are afraid that medical aid will not arrive in time. However, statistics show that ambulances arrive faster than they did just several years ago, primarily owing to the increase in the number of vehicles and medical teams. We are also developing more complicated forms of medical aid, including medical aviation and other on-site forms that are particularly important in difficult-to-access areas.
Today, consultations do not necessarily require a visit by a doctor. They can be rendered remotely, via Internet and TV medicine. This is very convenient when doctors hold consultations that are attended by the most qualified and famous physicians. We’ve recently discussed this at the Government Commission on Healthcare. Of course, we want our people to live longer and better. The average life span has exceeded 70 years. This is an achievement for us because we had much more grievous statistics in the past.
However, health protection should not be the concern of the state alone. Much depends on the attitude of the people to themselves and their health. This is why we attach so much importance to regular medical exams. Starting in 2015 all children will undergo medical exams every year and adults once in three years. According to the Ministry of Healthcare, over 30 million people have already passed them by December. This is a good start and I hope that this number will grow.
Regular medical checkups are the right thing to do. Quitting bad habits such as smoking is no less important and we are consistently countering smoking. Russia will soon sign the WHO Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. We’ve passed the relevant law. Illicit tobacco trade channels will be watched on a global scale. Law enforcement bodies of different countries will be able to exchange information about them to counter the illegal dissemination of tobacco products. Let me emphasise again that much depends on you! I wish you sound health in the New Year! Take care of yourselves, your families and friends!
