152 crimes committed by medical workers upon performance of official duties in Tatarstan in 2013

On March 31 at a session of Tatarstan Ministry of Health held at educational centre of high medical technologies (Kazan), First Deputy Prosecutor Artem Nikolayev said that 152 crimes were committed by medical workers upon performance of official duties in Tatarstan in 2013.

The main issue discussed at the session was increasing responsibility of medical workers.

Prime Minister Ildar Khalikov, Aide to Tatarstan President on social issues Tatyana Larionova, Head of Tatarstan Department of Russian Investigation Committee Pavel Nikolayev, representatives of law enforcement and judicial authorities took part in the event.

Speaking at the session, Artem Nikolayev said that the number of fatal cases because of low-quality medical aid increased in the republic.

Criminal proceedings were mainly started upon taking bribes for issuing fictional medical sick leave certificates and documents confirming medical examination without performing them.

“Falsification of statistics creates wrong impression of wellbeing in health care industry,” Artem Nikolayev said. He noted that this year proceedings were initiated by 9 cases of inappropriate rendering of medical services.

“Official crimes are committed because legal requirements in the sphere of health protection, licensing, and sanitary and epidemiological wellbeing are not fulfilled. Why have not we received the right response from the Ministry of Health yet? Even today’s session was initiated by Tatarstan President,” Artem Nikolayev stressed.

It was noted that observance of the established procedure upon rendering medical services to a large extent depends on profound position of heads of medical organisations. However, it turns out that they are law violators themselves.

“Only one third of Russian citizens are satisfied with the level of medical services. Very often citizens can find neither free, nor charged high-quality services.
We receive more than 70 per cent of appeals because people do not know about the programme of government guarantees, and conditions of free medical aid. Such a mess leads to corruption and makes people pay for services that must be rendered for free, in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Finally, citizens’ confidence in government and authorities is undermined,” Artem Nikolayev summarized.