VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Vladimir Putin's opening address:
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We have gathered here today to discuss the modernisation of the healthcare services, including funding for medial care and improving the system of mandatory medical insurance.
We have considerably increased spending on healthcare in the past ten years, from 225.4 billion roubles in 2000 to 1.5 trillion roubles in 2009. This is a dramatic increase.
From 2006 to 2009 we spent almost half a trillion roubles - 453.3 billion - through the Healthcare national priority project alone.
These funds were used to provide free medicines for veterans and disabled persons, as well as compensation to those who refused in-kind benefits in favour of monetary payments. We spend over 100 billion roubles to this end every year. In addition, 10,000 outpatient clinics received modern diagnostic equipment, which has shortened queues for specialist care. Finally, 70% of the ambulances in this country were modernised. That's 70% of our entire vehicle fleet!
A few words about the need for high-tech medical services: not long ago, only one out of every ten patients had access to such services, but now that number is 60%. We have achieved some of our goals, but frankly we only managed to resolve our most acute, pressing problems.
Polls show that only 33% of the patients are satisfied with the quality of medical care they receive. And so we will certainly continue to work to improve domestic healthcare for the foreseeable future.
Our challenge is to guarantee every citizen the right to quality medical services, irrespective of the place of residence or income.
First of all, we must work to reduce the regional disparities in funding, and, as a result, in the availability of healthcare services.
Of course, this does not mean we should make care completely standardised. The cost of medicines and services objectively differs from region to region.
We must also build up the necessary resources within the system of mandatory medical insurance. We all know quite well that the system can operate effectively without outside intervention only after these resources have reached a certain level. We must eliminate inefficient spending, when funds are allocated to merely maintain the existence of a network of institutions, irrespective of the range and quality of services they offer. We have discussed this problem many times.
We must also determine the services to be provided free of charge. Let me say this again: this list should include all the necessary procedures, from diagnosis to treatment, and even rehabilitation.
The standards of our hospitals and outpatient clinics must be adjusted to cutting-edge technology. We can do this, and we should keep this in mind when working towards this objective.
Our healthcare system must ensure effective prevention of diseases and help people remain healthy as long as possible, rather than wait for them to fall ill so that the doctors can help them.
Of course, the proposed changes in such a sensitive sector as healthcare should be gradual, gentle, well thought-out and careful. We should act according to the famous doctors' oath: Do no harm. We must also take into account the interests of all those parties involved, notably regional and municipal authorities, medical personnel, and, first and foremost, people and patients.
Let's discuss all of these issues together.
