MINSK, 16 October (BelTA) – Belarus Acting Healthcare Minister Dmitry Pinevich unveiled the healthcare sector development plans as he met with students of Belarusian State Medical University on 15 October, BelTA has learned.
For example, Dmitry Pinevich spoke about a new method of allocation of public funding for provision of healthcare services – by diagnosis-related groups. “In 2023, we will switch to a system in which funds follow a patient. Budget planning will remain the same, but its allocation will be different and will depend on the number of treated patients. This is the so-called DRG payment,” he said.
This system is already used in several countries. “The more cases a healthcare facility deals with, the more funding it gets. This creates competition for patients. I believe that this has its advantages,” the acting minister added.
Dmitry Pinevich also touched upon accreditation of healthcare facilities. According to him, the requirements, including for the material and technical resources, will be stricter. Private medical centers will also be able to get accreditation. “If they comply with the requirements, they could also be eligible for receiving public funds for patients they have treated,” he said.
The unified healthcare information platform will also be put into operation in 2023. According to the acting healthcare minister, the ministry has already signed a contract with the World Bank and got financing. An internationally acclaimed company will start working on the Belarusian IT platform by the end of the year. The platform will comprise patients' medical records with all information about medical history and visits to healthcare institutions.
Another serious step will be the introduction of residency in 2023. Dmitry Pinevich explained that at present it is possible to become a specialist after an internship or retraining. After the introduction of changes to the postgraduate training system, doctors will be able to become specialists on completing a residency. After graduating from university, graduates will work as general practitioners. If they want to become, for example, a surgeon, they will have to complete residency training.
At the same time, it is also important to make education more practice-oriented, Dmitry Pinevich believes. He agrees that there are specialties where only theoretical training is possible. However, all doctors sometimes have to provide emergency medical assistance. This is why it is necessary to equip simulation centers better, so that students could learn practical skills with the help of the best human body simulators.
The participants of the meeting proposed to set up a department focusing on IT technologies at Belarusian State Medical University.
