Mikhail Mishustin: “There has been a significant increase in the infection rate and the burden faced by medical institutions is growing. It is essential that we do our outmost to make sure that the situation does not reach a critical point, and stop the infection from spreading further. We are talking about the health of our people here.”
Meeting of the Presidium of the Coordination Council to control the incidence of the novel coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation
Excerpts
from the transcript:
Mikhail
Mishustin:
Good afternoon, colleagues.
Today, we
will discuss specific measures that we will take to step up our efforts to
fight the coronavirus. There has been a significant increase in the infection
rate and the burden faced by medical institutions is growing. It is essential
that we do our outmost to make sure that the situation does not reach a critical
point and stop the infection from spreading further.
These are
hard times for medical workers. For more than eighteen months now, they have
been caring for COVID patients.
In keeping
with the Presidential instructions, the Government continues to support medical
workers. We will transfer another 69 billion roubles to the regions for paying
out special social benefits. This will cover funding needs until the end of the
year. I have already signed a directive to this effect. I am asking the
Ministry of Healthcare to make sure that each region receives these funds on
time and in full.
The situation
with the coronavirus is deteriorating. In this context, we all need to strictly
abide by sanitary and epidemiological requirements. Getting a coronavirus vaccine
is essential. By getting a jab you not only show that you care about yourself
and your close ones, but also help doctors, nursing staff and other medical
workers, and ambulance drivers who are working under tremendous stress with
little sleep or rest.
As more
people started to get sick, a number of regions had to once again repurpose
their medical facilities as COVID hospitals.
Mr Murashko,
could you please report on the situation with the availability of hospital beds
in the Russian regions? Are there enough beds and equipment? Could you also
share a vaccination update?
More to be posted soon…
