Lukashenka Orders Health Ministry to Review Necessity of Some Regional Medical Facilities

Aliaksandr Lukashenka during a working visit to the Homiel Region visited the Pietrykau District, where he familiarised himself with the work of the obstetrics and gynaecology unit of the Pietrykau Central District Hospital and spoke with medical staff and patients.

He was briefed on the structure of district healthcare, which includes two local hospitals, 22 feldsher-obstetric stations and seven general practitioner outpatient clinics.

“From your point of view, is this structure excessive?” Lukashenka asked.

“Considering the length of the district from the town to its farthest point — about 70 kilometres — I believe this structure is not excessive. This is exactly what we need,” he was told.

“We need to look into it so that we do not spend extra money,” Lukashenka said. “I am not in favour of closing feldsher points, local hospitals and so on. But we need to review where necessary. What functions does a local hospital perform today?”

Lukashenka said he would instruct the health minister to analyse the situation across the country and determine where medical infrastructure meets real needs and where adjustments are required.

“I am drawing a conclusion for myself. We need to instruct the minister of health to go through the country once again and see where we need what and where we do not,” he said. “We need to review this together. Perhaps in some places we even need to add more feldsher points and so on.”

“Patient reception, medical examinations, provision of planned and emergency care, and support for the population in specific areas. Plus inpatient treatment, beds,” one of the interlocutors said.

“We have 11,000 people in the rural population, and most of them are in the district. The need for feldsher points in these hospitals exists, and when people visit…” another added.

“As for feldsher points, perhaps there is no question, because people are used to going there. Local hospitals — if I am not mistaken, we once repurposed them to also provide some kind of social assistance. Not only to the sick,” Lukashenka noted.

In response, it was said that local hospitals and nursing care facilities have beds for social care.

Lukashenka was also told about an experiment at a hospital in Karma District:

“It is clear that the number of people is decreasing and floors are becoming empty. We turned it into a district centre like a boarding house: half of the hospital is used as a hospital, inter-district departments such as urology and surgery were moved elsewhere. Here, people receive full-board care. What is good? Doctors are on site, all physiotherapy procedures are available, and elderly people receive proper care and conditions. (…) They leave 90% of their pension there for maintenance,” he was told.

“This is what we were talking about. Therefore, we need to — I draw this conclusion for myself — there is a minister of health, he understands this, we need to instruct him to once again go through the country and see: where we need what and where we do not. Budget funds — no one counts them. (…) So we need to review together where necessary. Perhaps in some places we even need to add feldsher points and so on. Local hospitals…” Lukashenka said.