Petrishenko: high-quality medical care must be available countrywide

“Providing necessary equipment to healthcare institutions is a key priority of our state. Its attention and financing are quite effective,” Belarus’ Deputy Prime Minister, Igor Petrishenko, said as he took part in an opening ceremony of a computer tomography centre at the Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Paediatric Surgery

“Last year, the country spent Br8.8bn (5 percent of GDP) on the healthcare system: the volumes increased by 30 percent. Br2bn of this went to finance the COVID-related aspects. The state also pays significant attention to re-equipment of our medical institutions,” Mr. Petrishenko said, adding that, in 2021 alone, Br730m were spent for this purpose.

Twenty-seven healthcare institutions received new equipment last year – including the Minsk Research and Practice Centre of Surgery, Transplantation and Haematology, and medical facilities in Brest. “There are certain approaches. The Healthcare Ministry co-ordinates this work and knows clinics that primarily need re-equipment. Accordingly, the principle of necessity and fair distribution is applied. No matter where a person lives, we must provide him with a high-quality assistance in any corner of the country, with special priority given to children,” the Deputy Prime Minister added.