Following the teleconference with acting Health Minister Alexander Oprishchenko and chiefs of medical institutions, Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin gave several instructions to address the problem of staffing the healthcare sphere with qualified personnel. During the event, which took place on February 4, they discussed the state of the health care system during the coronavirus infection, the press service of the Administration of the Head of the DPR reports.
“In remote areas, the understaffing of doctors reaches 50% of the total percentage of the full-time equivalent. This is a large enough figure to practically ring the alarm. We especially felt the understaffing during the period of the fight against the coronavirus infection. The situation with the staffing of nursing and junior medical personnel is not better. Quite a number of doctors are already of retirement age,” the Head of State noted.
He also cited data, according to which the understaffing of doctors in the Amvrosiyevsky district is 32.4%, Telmanovsky district — 46.6%, Gorlovka — 45.3%, Debaltsevo — 54%, Dokuchayevsk — 38.3%, Snezhnoye — 45.6%, in Khartsyzsk — 41.9% and Shakhtersk — 35.2%.
The Head of the Republic instructed the relevant ministry to develop a program aimed at rectifying the understaffing; the Government must adopt a regulatory legal act that would oblige graduates of the medical university, who received education at the expense of budgetary funds, to work based on their training according to the distribution program.
“I instruct the Ministry of Health of the Donetsk People’s Republic to develop a program to rectify the understaffing of medical workers, taking into account the involvement of medical university intern students. First of all, pay attention to specialists of anesthesiology, paramedics and ambulance doctors, general practitioners. Also, consider the possibility for medical students to work during night shifts without discontinuing the process of education. The deadline is March 15, 2021.
The Government of the Republic must adopt a decree under which graduates of medical universities, studying at the expense of budgetary funds, will be required in the next three years, according to the distribution program, to work based on their training in medical institutions of the Republic. The deadline is March 1, 2021,” the Head of State instructed.
