
MINSK, 3 March (BelTA) – There will be and there should be no clans in healthcare, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko told Healthcare Minister Aleksandr Khodzhayev, BelTA has learned.
“The healthcare sector is fraught with problems. You know where these problems are coming from. You [newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Karanik, who previously headed the Healthcare Ministry] will help him sort it out. They say, an outsider has come, he is from the wrong 'clan'. There will be no clans in healthcare. There won't be. So take action. If you drag your feet, they will walk all over you. And neither he nor I will be able or willing to help you if you cannot protect yourself and your team,” the head of state said.
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, a certain hierarchy has been built in Belarusian healthcare, starting from rural health centers up to tertiary hospitals at the very top. “This system must work. People go to rural health centers. These are our people. They are not rich, they come from the same background as you [new Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Karanik] and I,” the president said.
“Well, your father [Valery Khodzhayev, the father of the current healthcare minister, was first deputy minister] was a great person. Things were probably easier for you before. So ask him. He was a good specialist. He will give you advice, not on personnel, but how to avoid mistakes. This is not prohibited,” the head of state added.