News

Health minister summarised the year 2014 and told about plans for 2015

07.05.2015

The Minister of Health Veronika Skvortsova spoke at the Board of the Russian Ministry of Health, where she summed up the ministry's activities in 2014 and described plans for 2015. The meeting was attended by Nikolay Dronov – Chairman of the Executive Committee of IPM Movement Against Cancer, Deputy Executive Director on legal affairs of the NP "Equal Right to Life", member of the Public Council at the Russian Ministry of Health and member of the Council of non-governmental organizations for the protection patients’ rights under the Ministry of Health.

The Russians decreased alcohol consumption and smoking
 The Minister said that nearly half of Russians already passed preventive medical examinations. During these examinations cardiovascular diseases were revealed in every 12th adult (1.6 mln people), chronic broncho-pulmonary diseases in every hundredth (almost 200,000) and diabetes in one in every 200 people (more than 100,000). Compared with 2013, the proactive detection of cancer was significant higher (by 40 - 69%), including detection at early stages (1 or 2).
 Veronika Skvortsova said that according to Rosstat data, the number of smokers has decreased by 17 percent since 2008 and the per capita consumption of alcoholic beverages in terms of absolute alcohol went down from 16.2 to 11.5 liters. During the same period, the number of regularly exercising Russians has nearly doubled to more than 29.3 mln people in 2014.
The accessibility of medical care improved but problems persist
 In 2014, the infrastructure of primary health care significantly strengthened, including rural and remote areas. During the year, 171 medical and obstetrical stations, 157 feldsher's stations, 508 offices of general practitioners and 148 rural medical dispensaries were opened. The number of rural and township hospitals, increased by more than a third.
  "The overall picture shows that the level of primary health care becomes more professional, and the care itself – more accessible, which is confirmed by the polls of population. According to the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM), the public satisfaction increased in 2014 from 35 to 44%. However, we still have a lot of problems in primary care, including lack of health care workers, and inefficient distribution of functional responsibilities between doctors and nurses, as well as other organizational flaws, and sometimes heartless and rude attitude towards people," Veronika Skvortsova said.
 The Ministry of Health has fully revised and significantly reduced the physician’s paperwork. This freed up to 25% of the working time.
The average waiting time to receive high-tech medical care was significantly reduced: in 2014 it was 21 day for adults and 14 days for children, as compared with 41 and 35 days, accordingly, in 2012, and 93 days both for adults and children in 2009.
 "Despite the tense economic conditions, health care spending in 2015 increased by 216.4 bln roubles compared to last year (by 8.4%). The budget of compulsory health insurance fund increased by 24%, or more than 295 billion and it now covers more than 55% of the total funds for health care. The per capita financial standard of the State Guarantees Program on free medical care in 2015 increased by 12.7% to 11.6 thousand roubles," the minister stressed.
 The life expectancy in 2014 rose to 71 years, reaching a historic high level in men (65.4 years), and women (76.5 years). A positive natural increase in population was achieved in the country, it was 33,700 people.
Plans for 2015
Significant development of dispensary observation for persons at increased risk, improvement of the prevention programs effectiveness, the introduction of best practices to expand the functions of nurses, further computerization of doctors’ workplaces.
 For the first time ever, the Ministry of Health will conduct during this year an independent rating of outpatient organizations, that will be based not only on the indices of availability and quality of care, but also on the assessment of amicability and responsiveness of health workers.
 Veronika Skvortsova noted that the reduction in the number of beds is not an end in itself. All structural changes in health care are aimed primarily at improving access to and quality of care, including by means of inefficient spending reduction. The total volume of medical care is not reduced, while the proportion of the most effective modern medical technology is increasing significantly.
The salary of doctors has grown, but not everywhere
 Throughout the country, in 2014 the average monthly wage of doctors and medical staff reached 46,200 roubles, that of medical (pharmaceutical) staff – 26,300 roubles. However, investigations undertaken by the Ministry of Health and the Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare (Roszdravnadzor) after complaints from citizens, have revealed that in the regional medical institutions the wages of health care workers with similar skill level, experience and position are significantly different. In some cases, the gap in wages is nine-fold. The reason for the imbalance is the low share of the fixed income (salary) in the structure of wages, which ranges from 15 to 30 %, with an unreasonably high proportion of incentive payments – more than 50%, and their distribution is often judgmental.
 The list of vital and essential medicines for 2015 was expanded to 608 international non-proprietary names; it means more than 20,000 trade names for which prices are regulated by the state.
Problems with pain relief
 The past year has raised another serious problem, namely, the problem of availability of pain relief for those who need it. This problem has existed for many years, because the legal basis for narcotic analgesics is unchanged since 1998. Currently, the accessibility of narcotic analgesics for the citizens has increased significantly:
- permissible levels of stocks of narcotic analgesics for pharmacies in rural and remote areas are extended to three months demand,
- prescriptions for narcotic analgesics are now possible by general practitioner without participation of an oncologist,
- the validity of prescription is extended from 5 to 15 days,
- narcotic analgesics allowance for patients was increased.
 In addition, the Ministry has prepared a draft order, which facilitates the dispensing of drugs for those who receive them not for the first time, as well as the possibility of obtaining medicines by not only legitimate representatives of patients, but also other relatives of patients and social workers.
 
The full speech of the Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova can be found here (in Russian):
www.rosminzdrav.ru/news/2015/04/15/2300-ministr-veronika-skvortsova-vystupila-na-kollegii-minzdrava-rossii-ob-itogah-raboty-ministerstva-v-2014-godu-i-zadachah-na-2015-god