MOSCOW, June 20. /TASS/. Russian scientists continue to develop new vaccines and medicines against COVID-19, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his address on the occasion of the Medical Worker Day on Sunday.

"Our common goal is to focus all our efforts and all our resources on protecting citizens against the coronavirus and its effects," he said in the address, published by the Kremlin website on Sunday. "First, it is imperative to step up the vaccination rates. We have all we need to do this."

"Russia has four coronavirus vaccines of its own, and new vaccines and medications are under development," the Russian leader added.

Currently, four vaccines are registered in Russia: Sputnik V and Sputnik Light from the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, EpiVacCorona by the Vector State Scientific Center of Virology and Biotechnology, and CoviVac vaccine by the Chumakov Federal Scientific Center. Vaccines Sputnik V, EpiVacCorona, and CoviVac are two-component, Sputnik Light is a one-component vaccine.

Payments to doctors

. The Russian government has already allocated more than 350 billion rubles (about $4.8 billion) in additional payments to healthcare workers in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, and will continue to support them, the Russian president said.

According to the Russian leader, remuneration commensurate with the workload and responsibility of medical workers are of paramount importance. During the pandemic, the Russian authorities are focused on supporting doctors, nurses and ambulance teams that deal directly with coronavirus patients.

"Overall, almost 1.2 million medical workers received special payments. More than 350 billion rubles have already been set aside for these purposes," the Russian leader said. "And I want to make it clear today: these payments will continue into the future."

Putin went on to say that "hard and honourable work" of medical workers is irreplaceable at all times and it must be rewarded in a fair and dignified manner. The new system of remuneration in the sphere of public health should provide for a standard base salary for all regions and, on top of that, there must be a clear and transparent list of additional payments and allowances, the president added.

"We will definitely fine tune and implement this modern model in the course of our dialogue with you and based on the proposals of Russia’s medical community," he said.

He congratulated Russian healthcare workers on their professional holiday, thanking them for their hard work and devotion.

"I bow low to you and all your colleagues," Putin said. "I wish you good health and all the best."

Healthcare modernization

The Russian authorities will continue to develop the entire healthcare system, including primary care, Putin said.

"By all means, we will continue to improve the quality of the public health system, including primary care. We are aware of its setbacks and, in order to overcome them, we launched regional programmes for modernising our outpatient clinics, city and district hospitals, and rural health posts," the Russian leader said in the address, posted on the Kremlin’s website.

In his words. Russia needs to structure its healthcare sector around innovative technology, "renovate buildings and outfit them with modern medical and diagnostic equipment, including CT scanners."

"Patients, knowing that they will always be able to receive affordable high-quality medical assistance anywhere they go, and doctors, paramedics and nurses - both in urban and in rural areas - knowing that they will have access to modern dignified workplaces must be the main outcome of the primary care modernisation effort," the president said.

He added that "despite the complexity of the current situation, we must expand medical examination programmes and provide timely medical help to patients with cardiovascular, oncological, endocrine and other diseases.".