Doctors can’t sustain themselves by working one shift

Ambulance station in Minsk lacks doctors and nurses.

However, minimal standards of medical attendance to population are observed, said the deputy head doctor of the medical department at City Ambulance Station Paviel Udot at a press-conference in Minsk on Friday, Interfax reports.

“The manning level of ambulance brigades with doctors is 75% in Minsk, with nurses – 70%. Depending on the manning level we manage to provide the attendance to Minsk population”, - Udot said.

“While, the minimum social standard requires for a certain number of ambulance brigades to operation per number of population, we manage to meet this standard”, - he added.

The expert pointed out that “people do not work one shift: someone works one and a half shift, someone more”.

“Our doors are open for endless number of doctors and medical assistance. Just come to us, as well as to clinics and hospitals of the city”, - Udot emphasized.

The public attention has been on the Minsk ambulance station since January 2014, when an appeal to Lukashenka, Ministry of Healthcare leaders and Belarusian Healthcare Trade Union came out on the internet of the employees of the organization. The petition pointed out the problems of the station, which required immediate solution. In particular, its authors suggested that the law was adopted “On ambulance service”, ensure the security of the ambulance employees, accident insurance, additional social guarantees, improve the working conditions as well as increase the salaries by at least two times.