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Putin notes importance of ensuring people’s right to accessible medical care amid pandemic

During the pandemic, the prosecutor’s offices redoubled their efforts to monitor the timely provision of medical care, medicines, social payments and benefits, the Russian president pointed

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. The rights and freedoms of citizens are of supreme value, and it is the duty of the state to guarantee them, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stressed. The need for an effective mechanism to provide high-quality and affordable medical care is of particular importance amid the pandemic, he said in his video address to the participants in the Conference of Heads of Prosecutor's Offices of European States, which is being held in St. Petersburg.

"People and their rights and freedoms are the greatest value, and it is the duty of the state to create effective mechanisms for their unhindered implementation. This fully concerns the social rights of citizens, including the right to affordable, high-quality medical services. This is especially important now in light of the coronavirus pandemic that spread throughout the world last year," he said.

Putin stressed that he considered the role by the prosecutor’s office in protecting the rights of citizens in accordance with the principles of the European Convention on Human Rights to be of paramount importance. According to the Russian president, despite the differences in powers and specific features of national legislations, the relevant agencies play a pivotal role in ensuring the rule of law in their countries, protecting the rights and freedom of citizens, and upholding the interests of the state and society. "These basic goals and tasks not only unite us, but also emphasize the importance of cooperation and substantive professional partnership," he stated.

Referring to the Russian Prosecutor’s Office, Putin stressed that, "acting as an integral centralized system, it is fulfilling all its tasks accurately, and is contributing to the development of Russia as a truly law-based, socially oriented and democratic state." According to the head of state, these principles have been intensified and specified in Russia’s amended Constitution and in the Russian legislation as a whole.

"Acting within the framework of their supervisory authority, prosecutors are monitoring compliance with the law throughout Russia and taking measures to protect people’s rights in the event of any violations. For example, during the pandemic, the prosecutor’s offices redoubled their efforts to monitor the timely provision of medical care, medicines, social payments and benefits," Putin added.

Particular attention is paid to the protection of the rights of children, senior citizens, the disabled, large and low-income families, he stressed.