“Not all received money”: Putin criticized the situation with payments to doctors

Vladimir Putin criticized the government for the implementation of additional payments to doctors working with coronavirus patients.

“If the government’s decree initially contained clear, understandable, transparent and easily controlled principles and ways of bringing these presidential payments for work under special conditions, then there would be fewer questions for these head doctors who work from morning till night, and to the governors too. And then it would not be necessary to amend this decision of the government. So it’s good that we did it, but you don’t have to shift anything to anyone, ”the president emphasized.

Putin noted that not all health workers who owed the new payment received the funds.

“All calculations with people for April should have been completed by May 15th. However, according to my information, by the end of the last working week, far from everyone received the money, ”the president said at a meeting with the government on social issues.

However, the head of state acknowledged that over the past few days "the situation has changed in the right, right direction." However, in a number of Russian regions, the president continued, payments were not carried out as it should.

“In a number of constituent entities of the Federation, unfortunately, they did not pay at all the funds that were discussed at our meetings. And certainly not the ones I instructed to pay to medical workers. In fact, in each subject of the Federation and each medical organization, as well as for certain categories of health workers, they began to charge them differently, ”Putin said.

The President also indicated that the mechanisms for receiving payments should be “transparent and understandable,” and all information about them should be conveyed to people in detail. The head of state pointed out the importance of “feedback” in the current situation.

Putin instructed the government, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labor and the leadership of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to monitor the accrual of all established payments.

Recall that in early April, the president announced plans to introduce additional payments for medical workers who "work directly with patients with the coronavirus and every minute risk their health."

The maximum surcharge is provided for doctors directly working with patients with coronavirus infection - 80 thousand rubles per month. For paramedical personnel - paramedics, nurses - 50 thousand rubles. For junior medical personnel - 25 thousand rubles a month. 

Ambulance doctors working with coronavirus patients should receive a payment of 50 thousand rubles a month, and paramedics, nurses and drivers of car crews - 25 thousand rubles a month.

Later, Putin signed into law a law that exempts physicians from working with COVID-19 against personal income tax. Shortly before that, the president noted the importance of delivering full payments to health workers.

“The numbers were called absolute, and it is necessary that people get them in their hands, as they say, clean,” the head of state said then.

• AGN "Moscow"
• © Sofya Sandurskaya

Payment delay

At the same time, it later became known that the orders of the head of state were not fulfilled on schedule and were conducted with additional conditions, which were not discussed in the president’s instructions.

Putin said that, according to his information, by May 9 payments were made only in 56 regions of Russia, the money reached 56 thousand people, which is less than half the people who relied on these funds. Putin returned to this issue later during a meeting on May 15.

"Listen to me. Listen carefully. We agreed, and it was clearly and clearly said that this money should be paid for working with patients with coronavirus infection. And not for some hours, minutes, and so on. Specific dates and specific figures for these payments were announced, ”Putin said during a video conference on the occasion of the opening of medical centers of the Ministry of Defense in Russian regions to provide assistance to patients with COVID-19.

The issue of violations in calculating payments to patients with infected COVID-19 came to the Investigative Committee. The Office conducted checks in a number of regions on the situation with non-payment to doctors.

The first criminal case because of non-payment of additional funds to doctors of the IC opened after a video message from the ambulance staff of Armavir. On May 16, doctors stated in their video message that they had not received the surcharges they were due. After checking the incident, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under the article “Negligence” (Article 123 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

At the same time, according to the Ministry of Health on May 18, additional payments have already been accrued to almost 123 thousand Russian doctors.