GORKI, May 15. /TASS/. The maternal mortality rate in Russia has halved in the past five years, while infant mortality rate has decreased by 20%, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at a cabinet meeting dedicated to the construction of perinatal centers.
"As a result, which is the main thing, the maternal and infant mortality rates have decreased. Over the past five years, the maternal mortality rate has halved while the infant mortality rate has decreased by 20%," he said.
Medvedev pointed out that the positive effect of the perinatal centers could be seen right after they were launched, as the healthcare situation immediately changed for the better, mothers and newborns received highly qualified medical assistance even in the most difficult cases. The Russian prime minister added that "ten years ago, when this process began, only a few centers across the country were able to provide such medical care."
Medvedev went on to say that the perinatal center construction program had been initiated ten years ago as part of a nation-wide project. On the first stage, which lasted from 2007 to 2013, as many as 25 centers were built throughout Russia, including two federal ones. Before 2007, there were no perinatal centers in Russia. Since 2013, the construction of another 32 centers began in 30 Russian regions. "I would like to stress that more than 82 billion rubles (roughly $1.4 bln) have been allocated for this, with 52.2 billion provided by the Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund," the prime minister noted.
Medvedev added that a total of 13 centers had already opened while many more were under construction.
The Russian prime minister also said that medical assistance provided by the perinatal centers should be available for the majority of the country’s residents. "The perinatal centers should in no way be considered as some special maternity hospitals for the chosen ones," the prime minister concluded.