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
“Protecting health means preventing disease in the first place. A healthy lifestyle is a key aspect here. We will create conditions for free sports facilities that are close to home or work, and combat drug addiction, alcohol abuse and smoking.”
“With regard to rural health posts, certainly, there are universally accepted standards. <…> We should strive to ensure that people have access to the same standard of medical care regardless of where they live in the Russian Federation, in the countryside or in big cities. Clearly, we have a long way to go, but we should strive to get there and we need a body to oversee this work.”
“Still, we must admit that there are many problems in healthcare, and healthcare service standards – especially in urban outpatient clinics, including in Moscow – are far below modern healthcare demands. We must do a great deal to raise healthcare standards. This is why we are implementing a second large-scale healthcare programme including two years of modernisation assessed at 460 billion roubles.”
“In 2012, we will provide additional 195 billion roubles to renew the material resources of medical institutions and raise the standards of medical assistance. We will also increase financing of the Healthcare priority national project to 145 billion roubles. The money will be used for additional payments to medical personnel, to purchase modern diagnostic equipment and medications, to improve prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and cancer – in other words, towards priority areas.”
“Our task is to increase the availability of high-tech medical services and to reduce the current shortages, so that people will be able to receive the treatment they need. We are well aware of the substantial need for high-tech surgery, as well as our actual capacities”.
“I met with representatives of organisations for people with disabilities. We spoke about how the disabled cannot always get proper medical examinations due to the lack of a barrier-free physical environment and proper equipment. <…> With new facilities under construction and old ones restored and repaired, you must not forget to make them accessible to people with disabilities. <…> When purchasing equipment, you should pay attention to this, to ensure that people with disabilities have equal opportunity to use services at medical institutions and the equipment purchased for these institutions”.
“Thanks to the Health national project we have managed to solve the most acute problems in healthcare. I repeat, only the most pressing problems. Now, under regional programmes, we must effect qualitative change in improving healthcare in the Russian regions. This is above all about upgrading the quality of medical help on offer, ensuring it is accessible and of course, it is about decent pay for medical professionals, medical workers”.
“I would like to ask our colleagues from the Russian regions, and the municipal authorities to have all administrative buildings immediately outfitted with means of accessibility so that people with disabilities will feel comfortable in and around these buildings. This can and must be done immediately.”
“We need to support (and we will continue to do so) public organisations of disabled people. This year, we increased the amount of support to 950 million roubles. As I said, we will support related public organisations, not just organisations of disabled people, but also those that directly work with disabled people, volunteer organisations, and so on.”
“I estimate that by 2016 the number of schools equipped to deliver education to children with disabilities alongside children without disabilities will increase more than eightfold – from 1,200 to 10,000.”
"We see positive dynamics in demography. At stake here is not only an increase in birth rate but also reduction of the mortality rate. I believe there has been a decline in the number of deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases, 4.5%; cancer, 1.1%; road accidents, 5.7%; and tuberculosis, 6.3%. Overall, the dynamics are positive".
“I am truly pleased today, not only because we have completed a major construction project but also because we have established an innovative institution to combat serious diseases and help patients affected by cancer.”
“The completion of such a large-scale project in Russia <…> is just a small part of what we are doing for healthcare, including the treatment of cancer. But that is a very important step because it is here that high technology aid needed by hundreds and perhaps thousands of people across the country will be rendered.”
“Ultimately, the importance of healthy lifestyles and the need to combine efforts to fight non-communicable diseases should become the defining items on the global agenda aimed at meeting the 2015 Millennium Development Goals that world leaders adopted in 2000.”
“Russia plans to intensify the development of cooperation centres with the WHO, to introduce high technology in healthcare. For that, we will be tapping the potential of Russia’s largest state corporations. The development of medical technology is one of the priorities of their innovation programmes.”
“The new law “On Medical Insurance” should kick in. It will give citizens the right to chose their own doctors, medical institutions, and insurance companies and use those facilities where they can get the best medical treatment.”
“I suggest that we annually publish the ratings of medical institutions and insurance companies taking into account the opinion of patients. We should start with state healthcare institutions, major insurance companies, and private healthcare organisations. I think that information on the real state of affairs at medical institutions and their reactions to citizens’ complaints must be absolutely open.”
“In making primary care more efficient and raising the qualifications of precinct doctors, the quality of their services will undoubtedly go a long way towards improving preventative treatment and the early detection of diseases.”
“As part of these modernisation programmes, modern standards of medical treatment must be introduced, and the system of state guarantees must be effective. Regardless of where a person lives, he or she must have access to free and high-quality medical service.”
“We must purchase only advanced, quality and high-tech equipment if we really want to expand the capabilities of clinics and hospitals. <…> We must meet the two-year schedule (we set) and purchase equipment without delay so that patients can start benefitting from it as soon as possible.”
“We need to invest money in order to improve specialists’ qualifications, and we need to think about the future. One of the main priorities is the adoption of modern technology in the industry. The centres must be as effective as possible. We should eliminate the need for patients to wait in line and for doctors to fill in endless forms.”
“The government plans to disburse considerable amounts of money in federal allocations for the development of the medical equipment industry and the pharmaceutical sector. More than 120 billion roubles have been earmarked, all in all, including 40 billion in targeted funding for improving the manufacture of medical equipment.”
“I’d like to reiterate that our goal is to create truly modern medical centres in every sense of the word: from the adoption of high technology to comfortable conditions in the wards. And here much depends on the approach of the government – at both federal and regional levels. It is very important to form strong professional teams by attracting good specialists, doctors, and mid-level personnel. We must do our utmost to make positions at such centres prestigious and to increase the prestige of the profession in general.”
“Regional programmes must make healthcare more affordable. We have to introduce new standards that can guarantee quality and effective care – including diagnostics, procedures, and the provision of pharmaceuticals. And Moscow should naturally take the lead in introducing these new healthcare standards. We should also eliminate the humiliating need to wait in line. I've raised this issue more than once. The procedure of making appointments and appointments proper should be organised in the most convenient manner for patients.”
“Regional programmes should logically continue federal efforts to improve public health. They are designed to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare. The regions will purchase modern equipment, and renovate and otherwise update their key medical facilities. Healthcare facilities must comply with the latest medical standards, employ highly qualified specialists, and certainly raise staff salaries, including those of doctors in outpatient clinics.”
“Since 2005 the number of patients receiving high-tech medical care increased from 60,000 to 290,000. We need to further increase access to such services. We have already increased it fivefold, from 60,000 to 290,000. This is good, but the demand for such services is much higher, and we need to step up our efforts. Budget allocations for high-tech healthcare from 2008 to 2013 will total 135 billion roubles.”
“We have created an effective mechanism to ensure that people can receive medical services for free, as guaranteed by the state. I'd like to emphasise that these services are of the appropriate quality, or at least so it should be. Starting January 1, 2011 we will implement modernisation programmes that are designed to upgrade regional hospitals and clinics – providing them with new equipment and promoting the adoption of new technology and new medical standards. We will have the additional opportunity to raise salaries in the industry.”
“It is necessary to remove excessive paperwork in relations between the doctor and patient and to have the doctor focused on the treatment of the patient, instead of on filling out numerous forms and certificates. Modern information technology has to be applied for this purpose. What I mean is clear to everybody: telemedicine, electronic paperwork and electronic medical records. It is necessary to give people the opportunity to make a doctor’s appointment online, without having to leave the house.”
“As things really are, Europe does not consume many genetically modified products or commodities that violate sanitary standards. That was why imports from certain countries were suspended - particularly chicken from the United States. I would like to remind you that we imported close on 1.5 million tonnes of chicken from the United States recently, against roughly 300,000 tonnes this year. I think we will do without these imports next year and later, especially because our sanitary inspectors often disapprove of the production techniques, transportation and storage of these foodstuffs. I also want to remind you that the production of chicken in Russia has increased by more than 70% these last years, by 79% if I am not mistaken, and the production of pork by 39%. This is sizeable progress for any economy and any agriculture. This is why the budgets for next year, 2011, and for the years to follow give prominence to the development of agriculture.”
“We are encouraging Russians to respect their health and to give up bad habits. The government approved a concept for state policy on reducing alcohol consumption last year and a similar concept to reduce smoking recently. Russia ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and this was really a significant event. We will take into account all the requirements of that convention when drafting legislation.”
“The infant mortality rate has plummeted by almost one-third compared to 2005, even as the birth rate has grown and life expectancy has increased by 3 years in the past five years, which is a lot. The average life expectancy in Russia is nearly 69 years. This might be a modest achievement for Europe, but a growth of three years in a matter of five years is a major achievement. It points to a clear trend, to positive dynamics. I am confident that this development will continue to progress.”
“We took up the formation of a national infrastructure of high-tech healthcare services for the first time in earnest as part of the Healthcare priority national project, and our principled position was to primarily build new clinical centres in the country's regions and thus bring modern high-quality medical care to the people who need it, so that they do not have to get on a train or a plane to receive treatment at Moscow hospitals, spend money on travel, accommodation and incur other expenses that are not directly related to healthcare, or be placed on a waiting list for months or even years to get the operation or tests they need.”
“That being said, this increase in the federal funding should by no means encourage regions to reduce their own spending on healthcare. I hope that regional leaders will heed this. Let me be clear. If some regions have already started repairing hospitals and have promised to buy equipment, they must keep their word, carry out their plans, and not shift the financial burden over to the federal budget. They must complete all the projects that they have begun and pay for all of their commitments in full.”
“As you know, a large medical centre is being constructed in Moscow for children with oncologic diseases, primarily hematologic diseases. This centre will be the largest in Europe, without exaggeration. It'll accommodate between 250 and 300 patients, servicing another 300 patients at its ambulatory clinic. Also, there'll be a research lab and a hotel for the families of young patients. They will be able to come and stay there for the duration of the treatment. This option is very important for such patients. They need their family there. The government is doing this on its own. It'll cost the budget 11 billion roubles. Construction will be finished by next June. The centre will have the latest high-tech equipment. I hope it'll be able to receive its first patients at the end of next year.”
“It is heartening that over the recent years young people have been increasingly gravitating towards careers in medicine. These days, medical school graduates are more and more often choose to pursue a medical career. Today, highly skilled specialists versed in the latest diagnosis and treatment methods are in great demand in our country's healthcare system. High-tech equipment is being widely introduced in our medical institutions, and treatment methods and standards are being improved. We are building new hospitals with sophisticated equipment and new prenatal centres. We have been investing considerable funds in programmes for cardiovascular disease and cancer treatment, in the enhancement of assistance to road traffic accident victims. As you know, we have achieved good results.”
“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.”
"In 2010, we will develop detailed plans for the improvement of the system of compulsory medical insurance. This is a very important, large-scale and complicated task. Apart from that, we need not only to adopt, but also implement a new law on pharmaceutical products, which is now being discussed at the State Duma."
"The prices for companies making vitally important medications will be registered. This is the first thing. Second, the Federal Tariff Service will draft procedures for the constituent entities limiting their authority to regulate mark-ups. On the one hand, maker's prices will be fixed, and, on the other, mark-ups will be limited. These regulations will be effective from January 1, 2010."
"To cut a long story short and make it clear to everyone - the key problem is insufficient funding for the system. There are shortfalls in funding from every source, including the federal and regional governments. We have plans to reform this system. But at the moment we are embarking on a major project to improve the pension system, which will require between 500 and 700 billion roubles in 2010, according to our estimates. Our next effort will be to reform the compulsory medical insurance system gradually."
"This year almost 230,000 patients will benefit from hi-tech medical assistance. The figure will increase to 255,000 in 2010. But of course we would like it to be still higher. To remind you, that the figure in the otherwise good year 2005 was just 60,000. In other words, we have seen a fourfold growth between 2005 and 2009. You would agree that this is a positive result."
"Disintegration is one of the reasons why the Russian pharmaceutical industry lags behind. We must consolidate. The industry needs integrated structures linking research and development with manufacture. These would of course make use of market instruments."
"It is taking Russian manufacturers too long to switch to GMP and other international standards, without which the Russian pharmaceutical industry will never become an equal competitor in the world."
"We should provide for the greatest possible number of medicines to be manufactured in Russia-in particular, through licensed production and generics."
"There is a third challenge-preventing the sale of counterfeit medicines and medicines that have already expired. These medicines threaten people's health and even lives, and our efforts to combat them should not subside."
"The tasks that the state and the pharmaceutical companies face are clear. First, the policy for the state to purchase medicines needs to be overhauled to introduce clear-cut, transparent market rules to eliminate the possibility of loopholes and abuses, which allow sidestepping the terms of a public auction. When public auctions are aboveboard, prices fall significantly."
"Russian-manufactured medicines purchased using government money must make up no less than a half of the total supply, in terms of value, within the next two or three years. We should shift to long-term contracts with Russian manufacturers to supply medicines to government, municipal and corporate hospitals and clinics, as well as to medical centres affiliated with the Academy of Medical Sciences."
"Guaranteed purchases of medicine is one of the principal financial approaches for implementing state strategy in this field. In particular, government and other centralised companies must make such purchases, whose amount is quite sufficient in our country, approaching 230 billion roubles a year. However, Russian manufacturers have no permanent, or at least long-term, access to the market-suffice to say that federal programmes account for fewer than 10% of the volume of all Russian-made medicines sold."
“In the budget for 2010, we have maintained or even increased spending on basic medical programmes, meaning the national project ‘Health,’ provision of free medicines for persons entitled to benefits and maternity certificate payments. Grants-in-aid to the regions for compulsory medical insurance will also not be reduced."
"Over the last five years the average life span in this country has increased by three years, to reach almost 68 years. Let me be frank - we still have much to do in order to match the European standards in this area, but we know that this is an achievable goal. This means that standards of living are changing, and that the substantial investment made in healthcare, physical fitness and the construction of sports facilities over the last few years is paying off."
"I would also like to draw your attention to the birth rate, which has been on the rise since 2005. A very pleasant change has taken place. Last August, birth rates exceeded death rates for the first time in the last 15 years. This has just been registered by the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development, and confirmed by Gosstat (Federal Statistics Agency). For the first time in 15 years, we had a natural population increase."
