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Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visits the regional clinical hospital while on a working visit to Smolensk

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Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has visited the surgical ward where Chief Doctor Kamanin briefed him on the ward's work and the main services it provides. The Prime Minister then headed up to the recently refurbished eighth floor and went into one of the wards.

He then proceeded to the surgical unit where abdominal surgery is carried out. He also visited the still-to-be repaired level of the building, as well as the unit for X-ray surgery diagnostics and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and looked into the operating theatre for brain vessel surgery.

While visiting the hospital Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had a consultation with the doctor concerning a shoulder injury he received during a workout. "I strained my shoulder. Can you take a look at it?" the Prime Minister asked Chief Doctor Kamanin. He explained that he had strained his shoulder while doing some warm ups on a tatami mat one morning, during a forward roll, and had then exacerbated the injury exercising in a gym. "Of course, we'll take a look at it," the chief doctor said, calling in a specialist. The latter inspected the prime minister's shoulder, recommended he use an ointment and applied a surface anaesthetic.

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After visiting the Smolensk Regional Clinical Hospital, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin talked with city residents.

One woman passed the prime minister an appeal written by defrauded housing investors in "Social Initiative" and said that she had to take out a loan to buy her flat. "How come you let them cheat you?" the prime minister asked, before going on to reassure her that the authorities were taking measures to deal with this issue: "All regional governors have promised to solve that problem."

Another woman said that her pension was just 5,000 roubles a month, and the prime minister promised to look into the matter.

Vladimir Putin was told about the local authorities' plans to close the region's only multiple sclerosis treatment centre. "If there are no local alternatives, I don't see the point. We will discuss it right away," he promised.

One Smolensk woman raised the issue of agricultural land, saying the state could buy it out, but stressed that it should be at a fair price. “The solution you suggest is appropriate. We need a fair market evaluation,” the prime minister agreed.

Asked whether the authorities planned to cut the number of state-funded university places, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin replied: “This year by far not all the state-funded places have been filled, there are more state-funded places than necessary.” The prime minister explained that therefore there is no need to increase the number of state-funded places. “But state-funded places will sure remain – no question,” Prime Minister Vladimir Putin stressed.