MINSK DISTRICT, 30 October (BelTA) – Belarus will take measures to prevent a large outflow of doctors, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko told the media as he visited the N.N.Alexandrov National Cancer Center of Belarus on 30 October, BelTA has learned.
Journalists recalled Poland's recent decision to introduce new rules for doctors from outside the European Union. Doctors, including those from Belarus, will not have to confirm their diplomas. They will be asked to take an exam in a hospital instead. In this regard, journalists asked the president whether the state is concerned over a large-scale outflow of specialists and what decisions it is going to make to prevent this.
“We are concerned but not worried. The minister says that this problem [the lack of medical workers] will be settled within the next two years. Therefore, I believe there is nothing bad if a person goes somewhere to learn new things. The main thing that they should not forget about their country, come back and help it,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The head of state stressed that measures will be taken to retain specialists in Belarus. These will include the efforts to create necessary living and working conditions, increase salaries. “But no one will keep doctors, teachers or engineers by force. You cannot hold a man by force anyway. The world is going global, migration is huge. We need to work with people in a civilized way,” the president is convinced.
Aleksandr Lukashenko cited a set of dormitories recently commissioned for almost 350 families of employees of the N.N.Alexandrov National Cancer Center and healthcare institutions of Minsk Oblast. “These are good houses, not expensive, with one square meter at a little over five hundred dollars. We need to build more such so-called dormitories for doctors, nurses, for those who work in hospitals. It will be a good reason for people to stay here,” the head of state believes.
As for salaries, the president noted that highly qualified doctors in the N.N.Alexandrov National Cancer Center receive several thousand dollars in salaries. “But these are high-class specialists. This is the way it should be,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed. Ordinary doctors, junior medical staff should receive good salaries too, he added.
“To retain doctors, we need to give them high-quality education,” the head of state believes. He promised to revisit this issue in the winter when he visits the medical university.
“In the future we will do some things on international principles to ensure that people stay to work here," the president added.
Speaking about Poland's decision, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that opposition figures and many other people often use Poland as an example for Belarus. “But if the country is a on a good growth track, then why they set their eyes on specialists from the ‘dictatorship' Belarus ? You grow well, then nurture your doctors, have them treat your people. Why do they want Belarusian specialists,” the state of head wondered.
