MINSK, 5 December (BelTA) – Belarus is consistently working to replace Western European suppliers of medical equipment by suppliers from other countries, Healthcare Minister Dmitry Pinevich told journalists after he delivered a report to Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, BelTA has learned.
“There are no particular problems with equipment supplies and repairs” in the country by and large, the minister informed. According to him, about 22-25 units of heavy medical equipment are under repair now: “Unfortunately, this is common for the years 2021-2022, and it has to do with problems with logistics and supply of spare parts.” In addition to talks with existing partners and suppliers, the Healthcare Ministry is also negotiating the purchase of medical equipment from other countries, for example, China. “We are consistently working to change suppliers of medical equipment. We already have high-class heavy equipment made in China, and we are happy about it,” Dmitry Pinevich specified. In addition to that, some companies from Western Europe localize their production of equipment and component parts in the Great Stone industrial park. This will help minimize difficulties with the supply of medical equipment and components over time.
According to the Healthcare Ministry, this year the share of medical equipment, medical products and components of domestic production has reached 30% in monetary terms, the share of medicines has exceeded 50%.
As far as the supply of medicines is concerned, the minister admitted certain difficulties. The Healthcare Ministry is closely monitoring the availability of about ten medicines, this list is revised every month. “Now we have stocks of medicines. Depending on a medicine, these stocks can last from a month and a half to a year and a half,” Dmitry Pinevich emphasized. At the same time, prices for medicines rose by about 4.6% since the beginning of this year, which is much less than inflation for non-food products. This was achieved thanks to control by the ministry and agreements with suppliers of imported medicines, the minister added.
