Events

Amendments to Belarus’ healthcare law pass first reading

An archive photo

MINSK, 9 April (BelTA) – The House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus has passed amendments to the healthcare law in the first reading. The bill is aimed at enhancing the quality of healthcare and access to it, Healthcare Minister Vladimir Karanik said as he presented the document to the MPs on 9 April, BelTA has learned.

According to the minister, the draft law provides for the development of a healthcare quality management system. New types of expertise being established, including that of healthcare quality and a pharmaceutical and economic one. “We are moving to the examination of the quality of each case of medical assistance in order to analyze the extent to which medical assistance corresponded to clinical protocols and the existing medical base,” the minister said. 

The bill establishes the right for citizens who are treated at day patient facilities to receive medicines, medical products and biomedical cellular products. According to the minister, this creates conditions similar to staying in an inpatient hospital. “This will optimize the load on the bedspace, hospitalizing patients who need round-the-clock monitoring and treatment,” said Vladimir Karanik.

The amendments define the accreditation procedure for state-run hospitals and clinics. The minister stressed that there are no plans to close medical facilities.

As BelTA reported earlier, hospitals and clinics will be checked for the compliance to the basic standards. These are the requirements that will characterize safety and the level of medical assistance.

“If it is not safe to provide specialized assistance at this level, the institution will not be accredited to provide this type of assistance. Accordingly, it will lead to the fact that specialized assistance will be consolidated in those centers that have all the necessary equipment and personnel to provide it at a modern safe level,” Vladimir Karanik said earlier.

For example, neurological assistance should be provided where neuroimaging, CT and MRI are available, the minister continued. Their absence prevents the use of modern treatment methods that reduce the risk of disability and allow patients to recover more fully. Such assistance will be concentrated in those facilities that are equipped to the required level.

Belarus will have two types of accreditation of medical institutions: a basic one for state-run institutions and a voluntary one. The latter will also be available for private medical centers. If a medical institution fails to pass accreditation for providing certain types of assistance, it will not be financed from the state budget.

The development of the accreditation system will start this year. Plans are in place to launch it in 1 January 2023.

print version

make home page

add to bookmarks