In Volgograd Region, Bereslavka residents demand to preserve rural hospital

At a picket held in Volgograd, residents of the Volgograd Region have stated the need to keep the hospital in the village of Bereslavka and demanded to expand access to health care. In his turn, the head of the rural settlement of Bereslavka assures that the in-patient department of the hospital will not be closed, and "the April protest actions are not necessary".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 20, Volgograd hosted the picket "against the destruction of the Russian health care system" organized by the patients' movement "For Decent Medicine!" and by the trade union of health care professionals "Action". At the picket, residents of the Volgograd Region demanded that the authorities should preserve and expand access to health care.

The protest action sanctioned by the authorities was attended by 10 persons, and eight of them were residents of the village of Bereslavka. People were standing with posters reading: "No reduction in number of hospitals", "Stop killing us, taking away vital facilities!", "Return in-patient hospitals to villages!", and others.

"In the whole Russia, hospitals and specialized health care centres are being closed and repurposed, and the so-called reorganization of clinics is underway. And the free health services are being commercialized," the resolution states.

The demands of the protesters include: preservation and accessibility of health care, introduction of a moratorium on the closure, merger and concession of Russian medical institutions till public hearings, cancellation of the decisions already taken on closing medical institutions, including the Bereslavka District Hospital, and on merge of polyclinics, restoration of full budgetary financing of medical institutions, and other demands.

Some passers-by who signed the resolution joined the organizers of the protest action and encouraged other passers-by to sign the document. In total, 300 signatures were finally collected.

Boris Stikhin, a representative of the International Union of Anarchists, stated that all signatures would be sent to the Governor, the Regional Ministry of Health and the federal agencies.

The issue about closure of the in-patient department of the hospital Bereslavka District Hospital is not acute. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Alexei Zholud, the head of the rural settlement of Bereslavka of the Kalach District of the Volgograd Region.

"In late 2012, the issue about closure of the day-and-night in-patient department of the local hospital was acute. Then, we held a meeting of citizens in the form of a rally and sent appeals to MPs, the Ministry, and to the Governor. In January, we had five day-and-night beds, 10 beds of day patient facility, and 45 beds for nursing care," he has explained.

The head of the rural settlement of Bereslavka has stated that in February, the regional Duma approved the resolution about recommendation to add 10 day-and-night beds.

He has also emphasized that "the December rally had achieved its goal; however, the April protest actions were not necessary."