Starting Tuesday, August 11, Russian citizens over 40 years old have the right to take an additional paid day off for medical examination. The corresponding law was signed by the President of the country Vladimir Putin. According to the current procedure, in federal laws, which do not specify the date of their entry into force, they acquire it simultaneously throughout the territory of the Russian Federation after ten days after the day of their official publication.

By the adopted amendments to article 185 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, employees over 40 years old, “when undergoing medical examination in the manner prescribed by the legislation in the field of health protection, have the right to be released from work for one working day once a year, while retaining their place of earnings ".

At the same time, as follows from the document published on the portal of legal information, employees will be required to provide the employer with certificates from medical organizations confirming the passage of medical examination.

The explanatory note states that in the Strategy for the development of healthcare in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025, disease prevention is one of the main tasks. At the same time, data are provided that in the period from 2013 to 2017, 213.6 million underwent medical examination, however, almost 30% of citizens of the Russian Federation, due to non-compliance with the frequency of its passage, need treatment, including due to the development of severe forms of diseases.

“Today employers do not always meet their employees halfway so that they can get to the doctor in a timely manner - people are forced to take a day off at their own expense and lose in salary. As a result, many simply refuse to be examined. However, it is the regular medical examination that is a guarantee of early detection of chronic or even fatal diseases, ”explained the Chairman of the State Duma Viacheslav Volodin.

In turn, the head of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy Inna Svyatenko explained that the law establishes additional guarantees for undergoing medical examination, which will contribute to the preservation of the health of workers.

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The government approved and submitted the bill to the State Duma back in February. It was emphasized that the changes will make prophylactic medical examination more accessible and will contribute to an increase in life expectancy and an improvement in its quality, and will also help the implementation of the national projects "Healthcare" and "Demography".

We add that on July 7, the Minister of Health of Russia Mikhail Murashko signed an order to resume clinical examination and preventive examinations.

"We must fight the causes of disease, not the consequences"

As noted by the head of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs Yaroslav Nilov, changes in the Labor Code on the provision of an additional day off for medical examination were supported by all factions of the State Duma.

“I believe that this is correct, but only if the medical examination is treated responsibly. And not only citizens, but also those who will carry out this medical examination. The fact is, it happens very often in our country that they turn to a doctor when the disease is in a serious stage, but the ideology in this matter should be different. It is necessary to take measures in the early stages so that the disease is either prevented or stopped. It is both simpler and cheaper, and from the point of view of human health protection is the right approach. Another thing is that it does not work out as just a day off, when they will come to the doctor's therapist just for formalities. I believe that you need to think about your health constantly. We must fight the causes, not the consequences, ”the parliamentarian said.

In turn, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma health protection committee Fedot Tumusov also added that the innovations introduced on August 11 should have a positive effect on the general level of health of the nation. 

“Disease is easier to prevent or detect at an early stage. Clinical examination is precisely aimed at ensuring early detection and early treatment. Therefore, the State Duma and the state as a whole decided to provide working citizens with an additional day off so that they could undergo medical examination. This measure is aimed at strengthening the health of the nation, "said the interlocutor of RT.