On December 11, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. A new funding scheme for medical institutions is being introduced in the Vitebsk region in 2012, Yuri Derkach, head of the healthcare department of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, told a BELTA correspondent. According to him, for the first time, budget funds will be allocated not only based on the population size assigned to a medical institution, but also on the level and scope of care provided. To determine the latter indicators, the healthcare department conducted monitoring throughout 2011 on where and what kind of assistance residents of the region received: whether they were treated in district, regional, or republican hospitals. As a result, a list of institutions, including district hospitals, has already been determined, which are expected to receive approximately a 20% increase in funding. Yuri Derkach believes that this scheme will stimulate medical institutions to develop modern types of medical care and make it accessible, regardless of whether a person lives in a city or a village. For its part, the healthcare department intends to continue working on the technical equipment of district hospitals. Thus, out of five laparoscopic systems received in the region this year, two have been transferred to district hospitals - in Novolukoml and Lepel. Currently, surgeons in these institutions are mastering minimally invasive surgeries, which will allow patients to receive high-tech medical care without leaving their district. Joint replacement is already being mastered in district hospitals, and biochemical and hematological analyzers have been purchased for local laboratories. The healthcare department intends to continue monitoring the provision of medical care in 2012. Moreover, even the results of two to three months may become grounds for reallocating funds in favor of the most effectively operating institutions. According to preliminary data, Br1.8 trillion will be allocated from the consolidated regional budget for healthcare needs in 2012. -0-

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