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Viewing cable 09STPETERSBURG70, ARCHANGELSK DOCTOR'S ATTEMPT TO HEAL HEALTH CARE PROBLEMS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09STPETERSBURG70 2009-06-11 11:06 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate St Petersburg
R 111106Z JUN 09
FM AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2779
INFO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 
AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 
AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG
UNCLAS ST PETERSBURG 000070 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: RS PGOV SOCI
SUBJECT: ARCHANGELSK DOCTOR'S ATTEMPT TO HEAL HEALTH CARE PROBLEMS 
 
1. (SBU) Around 300 people assembled in the central square of 
Archangelsk on May 29 to protest inadequate funding and 
equipment shortages in local hospitals and the lack of 
transparency in budget spending.  The organizers of the protest 
were primarily surgeons from various regional hospitals. 
Archangelsk Mayor Viktor Pavlenko and Chairman of the Region's 
Health Committee Andrey Krasilikov attended the rally and 
declared that the situation would be resolved shortly.  Their 
assurances failed to assure the protestors, however, who 
insisted on a meeting between the doctors and local authorities 
on June 19 to discuss any progress made in fulfilling the 
protestors' demands. 
 
2. (SBU) These protests stem from doctors' claims that the 
situation in many hospitals is becoming desperate due to a lack 
of equipment which has left them unable to provide emergency 
care for their patients.  Hospitals have been understaffed for 
years and employees frequently quit because of low salaries, 
leaving the remaining doctors to work even longer hours. 
Doctors say that their problems are caused by a budgetary policy 
which lacks transparency and the general indifference of local 
officials to the healthcare industry's troubles. 
 
3. (SBU) Local authorities initially refused to allow the 
protest but eventually relented.  Pavlenko's and Krasilikov's 
participation was interpreted by leaders of the protest as an 
effort by the government to remain in control of the situation, 
or at least appear to be in control.  As evidence of the 
government's overall consternation with the situation, the 
organizers cited a television program about Archangelsk's 
healthcare system that was scheduled to be shown on one of the 
federal networks but was later cancelled.  Some participants in 
the protest have since claimed that they have been threatened 
with termination if they continue with their protests.  The 
problems which initially sparked the protest have not been 
resolved.  While one of the protest leaders admits that limited 
steps have been taken to resolve the underlying problems, he 
also states the local authorities have reneged on their promises 
to follow through on other measures.  It is not clear whether 
the promised meeting between protesting doctors and local 
authorities will actually take place on June 19. 
 
GWALTNEY