Chechen residents complain they have to pay for all medical services

Patients of the Chechen health care institutions assert that despite their medical insurances they have to pay for medical services. According to the ministry of health of Chechnya, about 90% of residents in the region carry the mandatory medical insurances (MMI) to date.

The health care institutions' activities seriously dissatisfy some residents of the republic. Specifically, according to the residents of Grozny, when seeking medical care in municipal hospitals, they have to buy needed medicines with their own money and to pay the doctors "in spite of notices in all health care institutions saying about free treatment".

"These are mere words and we have only paper free medical services. Virtually, we have to pay for everything. Last week, our grandson was taken to a hospital in the Oktyabrsky district of Grozny. And the daughter said that for the first two days everything they needed, including drugs, was provided free. Then they run out of one thing or another - syringes, drugs, etc. Moreover, the wards are awfully stuffy, the medical personnel is often very apathetic towards patients", a resident of Grozny Marina D. confided to a correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot".

"In hospital No.3 in Grozny, where I was put, there was a notice on each floor saying that treatment is free and all drugs are available", a local resident Sultan I. says. "But then it turned out that there seemed to be all the drugs available, but those I needed they somewhat lacked. I had to buy them with my money. Later I learned that others had been told the same thing. But without medical insurance they do not even examine you, saying nothing of treatment.

You also have to pay for tests, x-rays and everything else. And when being discharged from hospital, you pay a thousand rubles."

The health ministry of the Chechen Republic says that the cases with charging money from hospital patients are isolated incidents.