Moderator says that new, modern health-care facilities are opening, but many ordinary clinics and hospitals are closing. They speak with correspondents at several such regional clinics in Smolensk, Pskov, and Chelyabinsk oblasts where people are complaining. First woman complains she get ordinary checkups for her son who was born three months ago. Says she is told she has to travel two hours by bus to the city of Smolensk to get basic care. Admissions nurse then says that if a patient needs to see a surgeon or a neurologist, they can have an appointment today, although she admits that "there are nuances." The correspondent then goes into a doctor's office where the doctor is standing by her desk waiting for them. She says there is a shortage of doctors, says average wages for doctors is around 20,000 rubles.
Then they put on their correspondent in Pskov Oblast. He is at a cancer center that was opened by Dmitry Medvedev when he was president three years ago. People are complaining now that it is almost impossible to see a doctor and patients are standing in line for hours. The admissions nurse says there is no problem and points out that no one is in the waiting room. Correspondent says that when they were there yesterday without cameras, they saw patients waiting in line. Correspondent goes back and interviews waiting patients who say various things. One says he didn't have to wait; another says she had to wait three weeks. One patient says doctors are leaving because of low wages. Correspondent praises the quality of the equipment....
Third correspondent is in a clinic in Chelyabinsk Oblast. Says it just opened in February and there are one doctor, a nurse, and an occasional dentist. Main problem, he says, is lack of personnel. Speaks to a doctor who says the main problem is that young doctors come but can't get anywhere to live and so they leave.
Putin admits that there are problems with health care but says the sector is developing. First problem is accessibility of care. Second problem is shortage of health personnel. Third problem is quality of care.
As for accessibility of care, Putin admits that the "optimization" of health care has led to the closure of many small facilities. Says the government is working on this, including training new people and buying new equipment. Says the federal government has allocated money for housing for doctors and local officials are responsible for building it.
Putin says that wages for health-sector workers are rising "overall across the whole country." Admits that there are regions where salaries are "very small." "We need to even this out," he said.
Notes that many people are complaining about the lack of crucial medicines. Says federal budget for medicine has been distributed to the regions. Says some regions have "warehouses" full of medicines that aren't being distributed. Says that regional leaders need to prioritize medicines, which they often don't do. Then Putin gives the microphone to Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova, who discusses the relationship between the federal government and local administrations.
Correspondent interrupts Skvortsova in the middle of her speech to ask about the shortages of medicines. She talks about how the federal government was monitoring various regions and uncovered "serious defects" in how medicines are purchased and distributed. Correspondent again interrupts her and cuts her off. Putin then adds they have doubled federal spending on cancer medicines.
- By Carl Schreck
Veteran Russian journalist Nikolai Rudensky says Putin's statement that boosting real wages depends on boosting productivity echoes the line by Soviet leader Konstantin Chernenko in 1984: "In order to live better, it is necessary to work better."
A caller from Moscow asks what results have been achieved by the National Projects. Putin said that he already answered this question, saying that the projects helped the government concentrate resources on problems facing ordinary citizens. Putin says the main thing is to "change the structure of our economy," to develop high technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, etc. Then on this foundation they will have the resources to address other problems. Moderator asks "when will people feel the results of the National Projects" and Putin says they should already be feeling them now -- this year and next year. Putin again mentions "several unfavorable outside factors," apparently meaning low energy prices and sanctions against Russia.