Izvestia: "Bureaucrats avoid hard labour"
Russia's governors shirk maternity centre deadlines
Governors across Russia have failed to open planned perinatal centres and revise the healthcare modernisation programmes in their regions. During a recent meeting in Ryazan, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said he will not tolerate this kind of attitude.
The orange-coloured building on Ryazan's outskirts is one of the series of perinatal centres that have opened in nearly every Russian region in an identical design format. The staff gave Putin a tour of the building. The centre boasts shiny tile floors, unused delivery rooms with chairs for fathers courageous enough to attend childbirth, surgery rooms and recovery wards. The personnel also showed the prime minister the first two babies who were born at the centre – twin girls, Miroslava and Svyatoslava.
"What's the average salary at the centre?" Putin asked.
Chief Physician Yelena Petrova shrank at the question.
"It's about 12,000 roubles per month for doctors and 7,000-8,000 roubles for nurses," she said, adding hastily that, "it's 25% higher than at other medical establishments."
The prime minister looked surprised.
"We'll raise them," Ryazan Governor Oleg Kovalyov told Putin.
"What about wage premiums from the regional government?" the prime minister asked. He seemed determined to negotiate a pay increase right on the spot.
Kovalyov agreed. The salaries were raised.
"Thanks to the additions, doctors will make about 22,000-25,000 roubles per month, and nurses will earn roughly 12,000-14,000," Healthcare Minister Tatyana Golikova said.
After resolving the issue, the prime minister began to attend to other problems.
"I hate to upset you," he said, speaking to the governors during a videoconference on healthcare modernisation.
They had all been given "homework" to do. They had been asked to draw up and submit modernisation programmes to the Healthcare Ministry by March 10.
Only three programmes have so far been signed, Golikova said. Seven more are pending approval, but 32 regions didn't submit anything at all.
"Hey, guys, what's going on?" the prime minister asked. "Here's the deal. I expect each of you to come to Moscow next week with your programmes ready."
There are only a few dozen perinatal centres across Russia. None meet high standards.
"Patients complain that they had to pay to be given treatment at the new centre, and they also paid for their medicine. But why? Why?!" the prime minister asked.
Putin read a long list of complaints. The governors listened, their heads hung low – rude, inconsiderate staff, no kettles or gowns, hot or cold wards, no pharmacies, no cafes or food stores, no Internet... They sound like prisons, not maternity hospitals. But at least the centres are in place. However, only 11 of the 24 centres planned in 2007 are functioning. Meanwhile, there have even been violations at those 11 centres.
"They purchased an incubator for newborns for 800,000 roubles for the Irkutsk centre, but it seems the Perm centre paid 1.3 million for the same equipment," Putin said ominously. "The Kemerovo centre paid 84,000 roubles for a Japanese defibrillator, while the Krasnodar centre paid 464,000 roubles. Imagine the difference!"
The prime minister continued.
"Construction costs were 40,000 roubles per square metre in Chita, Blagoveshchensk (an expensive region in the Far East) and Kursk, while they were 60,000 in Volgograd and Yekaterinburg," he said. "These unlikely figures need to be investigated. The individuals must be found who are responsible for these discrepancies."
Some of the perpetrators were caught right on the spot.
Perm Region Governor Oleg Chirkunov was the first to take the rap. He had been expected to commission a local perinatal centre on Dec. 31. The deadline was then moved to Aug. 31. However, Perm won't be able to make that deadline either. Chirkunov participated in the videoconference and a scaffold could be seen in the background.
"When will you commission the centre anyway?" Putin asked.
"Aug. 1," the governor said wryly. "But we'll make some improvements afterwards."
"Why would you need to make improvements after you commission the building?" Putin exploded. "Shouldn't they be done before the commissioning?! Just listen to what you're saying! You're making allowances for yourself and your poor work!"
"October then," Chirkunov begged.
"October runs from the 1st to 31st," Putin said. "Which date are you referring to?"
"Oct. 15," the governor muttered gloomily.
Meanwhile, Amur Region Governor Oleg Kozhemyako tried to evade responsibility by complaining about the severe winter weather around Baikal.
"And later you'll say you had too much rain in summer?" Putin said. "Don't you know the local climate?! Didn't you serve in the army?"
"Yes I did, as a sergeant major," he murmured.
"Then I want you to report to me like a sergeant major: 'Comrade Colonel, we'll commission the centre on...' And give me an exact date."
"Yes, Sir! Aug. 31!" the governor saluted.
Anastasia Savinykh
