Federal Ombudsman for Health Services proposed
Parliamentary deputy proposes establishing the post of federal ombudsman for health services
Moscow, 26.08.2014
Vadim Soloviev, a CPRF* deputy for the Russian State Duma, believes that a commissioner for the protection of citizens’ healthcare rights could be responsible for monitoring the state of healthcare provisions in Russia’s regions, as well as verifying personnel’s qualifications and evaluating the demand for particular medical specialities in the various regions. Soloviev told Izvestia that recent attempts to improve the public health service had not had the desired results. He believes that small settlements still need specialist services; there are problems with medical provision, and medical facilities in various parts of the country inspire as little faith on the inside as on the outside.
‘We are getting a large number of complaints about hospitals: the number of rural hospitals and medical centres has been cut, everything has been pilfered from district centres, many of which have today been deemed as lacking in prospects and are beginning to dwindle. Qualified help remains available only at provincial centres,’ claims a report by parliament. Soloviev suggests that this is why it is essential to establish the post of citizens’ health services ombudsman, and to implement legislative changes to improve funding for medicines.
According to the report, Russia’s Ministry of Health has shown some interest in Soloviev’s proposal, stating that it is prepared to work on the initiative, if it there is a demand. The Ministry of Health believe this ‘would obviate the difficulties with communications.’
By Georgii Ivanushkin
*CPRF = Communist Party of the Russian Federation
