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  • Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a call with Belarusians regarding healthcare

    February 05, 2022

    On Wednesday, February 2, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held an open call with Belarusians regarding the state of the healthcare system in the country. Registration on Zoom was open, anyone could join. 

    Belarusians, both patients and doctors, shared the following observations:

    • Many hoped that EU-approved vaccines would be delivered to Belarus. Because of the regime, they were deprived of alternatives and, therefore, vaccinated with Sputnik.
    • People stand in lines not only to get to health centers but also to order memorial services.
    • Since the abolition of mandatory mask wearing, in many institutions, a large percentage of even doctors do not wear masks.
    • “A vaccination plan was set to be fulfilled by October but it was flunked. They tried to force to vaccinate even those who had COVID recently, just for show”.
    • “Some fellow therapists, when they came to work, found that they had already been "vaccinated" on paper.
    • "We had 24 visits in one hour. 2.5 minutes per patient is 5 times less than the norm. And for a doctor, such loads are drudgery".
    • The public procurement system in Belarus is deeply flawed. Healthcare institutions do not receive the necessary equipment, medications and medical reagents on time. 

    The participants of the call also raised the topic of healthcare reforms in the new Belarus, including the issue of socialized healthcare vs medical insurance schemes. 

    The representative of the Belarusian Medical Solidarity Foundation Andrei Tkachou reminded about the okdoc.me telemedicine project that allows Belarusians to get online consultations from honest doctors, and doctors to find a job. The security of the service is ensured. In Belarus, the project’s website has been blocked and is available only via VPN.

    At the end of the call, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked everyone for joining, and expressed gratitude to doctors for their work. She urged Belarusians to wear masks, vaccinate with any available vaccine, keep social distance, and, if possible, work from home.

    Next week, the Office will hold another open call. The link for registration will follow.

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