Healthcare sector is being modernized in Smolensk region

In 2013, implementation of the regional healthcare modernization program continues in Smolensk region. The result of this activity is a significant improvement in providing healthcare services. The material and technical assets of the healthcare facilities have been developed. Capital repairs of 21 healthcare facilities, including 5 maternity homes, have been performed. Through the modernization program, our region has received more than 3,600 units of modern medical equipment, which have been installed in all the healthcare facilities, including outpatient clinics.

The car park of the ambulance has been updated: 2 mobile complexes and 92 units of sanitary transport have been purchased. All of them are well equipped and have on-board satellite navigation GLONASS.

In the clinics the Internet electronic appointment system has been introduced and the telemedical consultation centers have been set up. It was managed to reduce the deficit of the medical staff and increase salaries of health care professionals. In the region the executive order of the President on increasing the salaries of healthcare professionals has been fulfilled.

Thus, there are positive results in the development of a number of the key areas of the healthcare sector in Smolensk region. Read on for details.

The Demographics

During the 11 months of 2013 the birth rate in Smolensk region remained at the same level as for this period in 2012. While the overall mortality rate was 16.5 per 1,000 people, which is 1.2 % lower than for the same period in 2012. In particular, there is a decrease in mortality from diseases of the circulatory system (by 14.9%), in mortality from tuberculosis (by 18.4%), in infant mortality (by 7.4%).

In order to maximize the availability of medical help, including specialized care, the 3-level system of providing medical care for patients has been created in the region. The routing of patients and delivery schemes across the priority profiles, including delivery of the patient to each level within one hour have been designed and approved.

Such forms of distant medical care as mobile diagnostic complexes, remote transmission of ECG, telemedical consultations, as well as general practice, home hospitals, active patronage are developing in the region.

The priority tasks are to improve the overall health of women, children and adolescents and their reproductive functions and to reduce infant mortality. Within the modernization program 625 units of modern equipment for maternity and children hospitals have been purchased.

On the territory of Smolensk region the program “Birth Certificate", neonatal audiological screening, high-tech medical care for the newborns are being carried out. 29 additional intensive care beds for the care of newborns, including those with extremely low birth weight, have been created. To provide counseling and medical care for newborns there is an emergency ambulance team in the region. There are two emergency ambulance cars at the team’s disposal which have necessary equipment for the intensive care. The routing scheme of providing intensive care by the emergency teams has been designed in the region.

In order to improve distant and on-site forms of medical care for children living in the region, each healthcare facility is supervised by the consultants from the regional agencies and departments of the Medical Academy.

The control of activities to reduce infant and child mortality is executed by the Governor’s Coordinating Council on the family, motherhood and childhood. The most relevant tasks for the region today are constructing the perinatal center, increasing the number of intensive care beds for newborns in maternity hospitals, which will allow to solve the problem of caring for children with extremely low birth weight. In 2013 the region received the subsidy from the federal budget for the construction of the perinatal center in the amount of 2,011,044.7 thousand rubles. The co-financing from the regional budget for these purposes is 503.0 million rubles.

Vascular patients care

The region has a modern system of medical care of patients with acute vascular disease, which provides each resident of the region with the access to the specialized care for one hour. There is a regional vascular center and three primary vascular departments. As part of the modernization program funds were allocated for the creation of one more department for the treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke in Smolensk. The department started operating on January 1, 2013.

The Regional Healthcare Development Program 2020 provides for the further development of the system of specialized medical care of patients with acute vascular pathology through organizing in 2014-2015 two primary vascular departments at the inter-municipal health centers on the basis of CRB (Yartsevskaya and Rudnyanskaya CRB). In addition, it is also planned to set up a department of high-tech medical care for patients with acute myocardial infarction (X-ray and endovascular diagnosis and treatment) on the basis of the major inter-municipal center (Vyazemskaya CRB).

Casualties in road accidents care

In order to improve the treatment of casualties in road accidents the system of providing emergency and specialized medical care has been improved. On the basis of medical institutions of the region there were created 7 trauma centers of three levels with modern equipment.

This system has allowed to develop delivery schemes of the casualties in the road accident to trauma centers within one hour. The region has a well-established order of interaction with the urgent services UMVD in Smolensk region and Emergency Situations Ministry. 21.6 million rubles from the federal budget and 276,243 thousand rubles from the regional budget were allocated to improve medical care of casualties in the road accidents.

The monitoring of the activities showed the need to open extra trauma centers along the federal highway A- 141 "Orel-Vitebsk" (on the base of OGBUZ "Roslavlskaya CRB", "Rudnyanskaya CRB"). Particular attention will be paid to care of children – injured in the road accidents and in this connection it is planned to open the children trauma center on the base of the regional hospital. These plans will be implemented in 2014-2016 in the framework of the healthcare development program.

The coordination of the activities to reduce mortality in road accidents is executed in the framework of the regional commission on road safety.

TB patients care

In recent years, the material and technical assets of anti-tuberculosis institutions have been increased. The reconstruction of the hospital building of the regional TB clinic has been completed, the medical equipment has been installed in the surgery unit, the construction of a new building of the bacteriological laboratory has been finished. The capital repair of the children's department of the regional clinic has been carried out. In 2012, a CT scanner has been purchased with the federal budget funds and put into operation.

The four mobile fluorography machines have been purchased with the regional budget funds.

The Administration of Smolensk region pays particular attention to the tuberculosis prevention issue. In January, the operational headquarters to combat the spread of tuberculosis in Smolensk region, which coordinates interagency cooperation on morbidity and mortality from tuberculosis, has been established in the region.

Cancer patients care

In 2012, the region entered into the National Cancer Program. The funds in the amount of 474.1 million rubles from the federal budget, 91.5 million rubles from the regional budget were allocated to implement this program. The funds were used to update the material and technical equipment of the regional oncologic clinic. The capital repair of the radiological building, which has modern high-tech equipment, has been performed.

Simultaneously, the measures to improve primary care aimed at the development of secondary prevention of malignant tumors and at the detection at the early stages are being taken. There are 19 primary cancer surgeries operating now. By 2016 it is planned to open 13 more surgeries.

Staff issue

The work in all of the above mentioned areas is impossible without competent personnel policy. In order to attract staff the measures of social support have been designed. They provide for paying a differentiated cash bonus to the young physicians in 2013-2014 in the amount from 200 000 to 500 000 rubles, to the nurses - 100 000 rubles. As part of the activities to keep young professionals in the rural areas 15 young doctors, each of whom received a compensation of 1 million rubles have been employed to work in the countryside. On the base of the Smolensk State Medical Academy from 13 to 17 attending physicians receiving a scholarship from the regional budget are trained annually. The further employment of these professionals is carried out according to the agreements providing for obligatory practice in the healthcare institutions for at least three years.