Belarusian Medical Worker: This Is Pure Discrimination

3.5 thousand medical workers can be fired under Lukashenka’s Decree № 475.

Decree № 475on changing the rules of licensing has started to affect private medical institutions. Judging from the document, which fell into the hands of Salidarnasts, around 3-3.5 thousand medical workers across the country can lose their jobs.

As it was informed previously, private medical institutions can lose 25% of their workers due to the new rules of licensing. According to the Lukashenka’s Decree № 475, which came into force from March 1, only specialists of the first and the highest category can work in private clinics and sanatoriums. This will affect drastically small medical centers and dental practices. According to the new rules not only doctors, but the entire medical staff should have the first category. To obtain this category, the working experience of a specialist should be not less than 5 years. Information on the implementation of new requirements must be submitted to the Ministry of Health before June 1.

Among other things, the Decree wreaks havoc on sanatoriums – most of them are private business in Belarus.

Experts think that the changes in licensing rules will lead to mass dismissals and bankruptcy of some small organizations, besides, the investments in the medical field will considerably reduce.

As it became known to journalists, the staff departments of private medical institutions are in utter confusion due to the innovation, as it contains many inconsistencies with the existing legal norms.

– Yes, the employees are urgently fired. By June 1, personnel officers must report to the Ministry of Health on all points, including how many people have been fired. But the personnel officers have lots of questions. For example what actions they should take in regard to the people who are on the maternity leave and who cannot manage to obtain (because too little time is left) the first or the highest category by June 1?

It turns out that they also must be dismissed, – one of the doctors, who received an order of dismissal on May 20, said to the journalists. – At the same time, those who are subject to the staff reduction (and many of the medical workers, of course, were working in several medical institutions), – can continue their work in any state medical institutions. At the same positions. These are double standards and a pure discrimination.

Judging from the document, which fell into the hands of journalists, around 3-3.5 thousand medical workers across the country can lose their jobs due to Decree № 475.

Furthermore, a workshop “Labour relations in health organizations: bring them in line with Decree №475” will be held for personnel departments on May 26 in order to "minimize the risks of prosecution".

The workshop, as stated in the document, will provide among other things “the algorithm of actions of the employer during dismissal of an employee.” Since, as stated in the same letter: “There is no well-proven firing mechanism for such situations. Illegal termination of employment relations with an employee will cause, in its turn, employment disputes; the trade unions and the courts will be on the side of workers in such circumstances, which will cause additional expenses for the employer.”

Decree №475 confirms that state and private organizations in Belarus are equal under the law, but in reality, the state ones are a little bit more equal.

Previously, to obtain a license, a medical institution should have only one doctor of the first or the highest category for each medical service declared. Also, it was required to have at least one nurse of any qualification category in the state for each medical service declared.

As seen, the tightening of licensing rules for medical services provided by private organizations is quite significant. Especially in comparison with the state institutions, which are granted relief from licensing.

However, this is just the top of the iceberg. The state not only has tightened the licensing requirements for employees of private medical institutions, but also has put the entire personnel policy of private medical institutions under special and very strict control.