All news

Putin calls to take into account epidemic’s lessons in developing public health sector

Much is yet to be done to improve the quality and accessibility of medical services, the president stressed

MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Russia will continue to allocate more than 500 billion rubles (7.28 billion US dollars) to modernize primary care units and will take into account the experience of the coronavirus pandemic in developing its public health sector, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on Tuesday.

"In general, Russia’s public health system has responded to the epidemic challenge absolutely adequately," he said, adding that the situation has exposed a number of unresolved problems.

"We know that, despite the selfless efforts of medics there were problems with routine medical assistance to people with other diseases," he noted.

"We must learn a lesson from this situation. The funds that were invested in overhauling hospitals, in medical equipment, in training of medical personnel during the epidemic period are already working and will continue to work for the benefit of our public health in general," Putin said, adding that much is yet to be done to improve the quality and accessibility of medical services.

"We will do without fail. And first of all - under the programs of modernization of primary care units. We will take this difficult experience into account and, I would like to stress, we will keep the resources allocated to the implementation of these programs at the former level of more than 500 billion rubles," Putin added.