Alyaksandr Lukashenka expressed outrage that Belarusians who left the country for work return home to receive free medical services. He promised to “fix” the situation.
“About 10–12 thousand people went to Poland. Some say a million left. It doesn’t matter how many. But they come to Hrodna to fix their teeth. Why? Because it’s free. Nothing is free. The budget—the state—pays for you. Therefore, a decision will be made on this,” he said today at a ceremony marking the opening of a bridge over the Prypyat River in Mazyr.
Lukashenka said that the authorities would not prevent people from going abroad to work, especially to Russia, but they must pay for medical services.
“You go abroad looking for a good place to earn money—fine, we won’t stop you. Especially if you go to Russia. But when you make good money, come back here and pay. We’ll pull your tooth or whatever you need—but only at your expense,” he emphasized.
According to Lukashenka, people should work in their own country, and business leaders must do everything possible to pay salaries.
“We have plenty of enterprises. There’s work to be done. I want to publicly warn managers: whatever kind of business you have—loss-making or rundown—you must pay wages even if it kills you. That’s the main thing. If we don’t pay decent salaries, we’ll lose people,” his press service quoted him as saying.
This is not the first time Lukashenka has promised to address the issue of healthcare for those who left.
“Because you must understand: they come here to fix their teeth cheaply and treat other illnesses—at your expense. You pay taxes as individuals, and your enterprises pay taxes too. They come here for cheap treatment,” he said in April 2024.