Pavel Latushka: Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, Ambassador
Karanik claims that Belarus ranks 4th or 5th in the world for its doctor-to-population ratio.
This is a lie.
Recent data reveals a stark decline in the number of doctors in Belarus, plummeting by 7,000 in 2023 alone. The Lukashenko regime began manipulating statistics related to practicing doctors in 2020, coinciding with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The motive behind this manipulation was to deceive international organizations, securing funding for Ministry of Health projects.
In June, Belarus celebrated Medical Worker Day, a holiday honoring those in the demanding profession of caring for the sick, alleviating suffering, and saving lives.
On June 12, 2024, a celebratory event marked the 105th anniversary of the Belarusian healthcare system and Medical Workers' Day. At the Palace of the Republic, Kochanova congratulated the assembled doctors. The Chairman of the Council of the Republic stressed the Belarusian government's supposed commitment to healthcare and made a number of hypocritical and cynical pronouncements.
Let's deconstruct the myths propagated by Kochanova
Here is a direct quote from Natallia Kochanova:
“Healthcare is one of the priority areas of state social policy. Funding is allocated, new medical institutions are being built, existing ones are being reconstructed, new modern equipment is being purchased, new pharmaceuticals are being produced at our enterprises, and educational institutions annually train professionals for the healthcare industry.”
Let's examine the reality of healthcare in Belarus.
Here are just a few facts: According to Belstat, the number of healthcare organizations has dwindled from 874 in 1990 to 569 in 2023. This reduction is particularly pronounced in the Viciebsk region (from 161 to 96) and the Mahilou region (from 124 to 56).
Furthermore, it is currently impossible to determine the number of hospital beds available during this period, as Belstat has not released this data for several years.
It is safe to assume that the number of hospital beds is also declining sharply.
Furthermore, Belarusians are increasingly witnessing the closure of medical centers in small villages and towns.
First, libraries and local shops disappeared, replaced by traveling vendors. Then post offices vanished. Now it’s the turn of medical clinics.
Residents of small villages are left without access to basic medical care. They can no longer get quick medical advice, have simple lab tests done, get their blood pressure checked, or have their heart and lungs examined. The closure of hospitals and medical centers has severely impacted access to healthcare. Residents of remote areas must travel long distances to receive medical services, a significant hardship for the elderly and low-income individuals.
Without regular medical supervision, the risk of chronic diseases worsening and new diseases going undetected increases significantly.
This decreased access to healthcare will likely lead to higher healthcare costs in the long run. More complicated and severe medical conditions will arise, requiring more expensive treatments
But do Lukashenko and his cronies care? This illegitimate regime has secured excellent healthcare for themselves while concealing the true morbidity and mortality rates from the public. They are and will always be indifferent to the health and well-being of the Belarusian people.
The lack of adequate healthcare is driving people out of villages and into cities or abroad. This exodus further weakens already sparsely populated areas and stifles economic activity.
The remaining healthcare facilities are overwhelmed, leading to a decline in the quality of care. Medical professionals are overworked and resources are stretched thin.
And yet, against this backdrop of deterioration and despair, Karanik has the audacity to claim that Belarus ranks 4th or 5th in the world for its doctor-to-population ratio.
This is simply untrue.
To support this claim, Karanik cites Belstat data from the end of 2023, which reports 136,500 medical workers and 53.2 practicing doctors per 10,000 people. However, this data is based on an adjusted methodology for calculating the number of practicing doctors, and Belstat has not provided any details about this new methodology. Instead of using the actual number of working medical specialists (48,134 according to official statistics), they are including all individuals with higher medical education, including administrators, educators, and other non-practicing professionals.
Furthermore, the data on practicing doctors includes all medical professionals, so dentists are being counted as well.
The number of practicing physicians is also presented in full-time equivalents. This means that two doctors working 1.5 full-time equivalents each would be counted as three doctors.
Belstat itself has inadvertently revealed these manipulations.
The latest edition of their annual publication, “Belarus in Figures,” reports 7,400 fewer practicing doctors than the previous year, with a total of 41,300 practicing doctors, or 45.1 per 10,000 people.
Based on the most recent data, the number of doctors in Belarus plummeted by 7,000 in 2023 alone. The Lukashenko regime began actively manipulating statistics on practicing doctors in 2020, coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. These manipulations were intended to mislead international organizations, allowing the regime to secure funding for Ministry of Health projects under false pretenses.
As of July 1, 2024, there were 4,943 unfilled vacancies for medical professionals and 4,165 vacancies for nurses.
The Homiel State Medical University website lists 5,351 unfilled healthcare positions in Belarus.
Can Lukashenko's regime find a way out of this crisis?
No.
All legitimate mechanisms for regulating the healthcare labor market have been exhausted. The only remaining options are coercion and repression.
These tactics might stabilize the situation temporarily, but the long-term outlook points to complete collapse.
The Belarusian people have already witnessed the regime's disregard for their health and well-being during the coronavirus pandemic. They saw firsthand that Lukashenko places no value on human life.
The people saw the truth and demanded, "GO AWAY!"
But Lukashenko clings desperately to power, frantically reshuffling his inner circle as he fears a repeat of the 2020 protests.
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