Official website of the President of Russia

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The message reads, in part:

“I extend my greetings to you on the opening of the meeting of the All-Russian Coordination Council of Human Rights Commissioners held to discuss a vital subject: the citizens’ right to healthcare and medical assistance.

I want to emphasise that the state is paying priority attention to improving the healthcare system. A great deal has been done in recent years to improve people’s health, increase life expectancy, introduce modern diagnostic and treatment technologies, and improve the quality and accessibility of medical assistance. On the other hand, there are quite a few problems in this sensitive sphere, which call for consolidating the efforts of the bodies of power at all levels, professional associations and civil society.

I would like to make special mention of the hard and painstaking work of the human rights commissioners throughout the country and in all its regions. Your rich experience, thorough understanding of the issues at hand at the local level, and caring and concerned attitude to people are extremely important now. It is gratifying that you are also engaged in awareness projects and are giving targeted attention to serious and sometimes unusual problems facing patients.”

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The meeting is being attended by human rights commissioners from all constituent entities of the Russian Federation, deputies and senators, representatives of the Defence Ministry, the Healthcare Ministry, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Federal Penitentiary Service and the Russian Red Cross Society, as well as scientists and experts.

Following the meeting, specific proposals will be formulated for the state authorities aimed at strengthening human rights guarantees in healthcare.

Other issues on the agenda include the development of new instruments and mechanisms for human rights protection in light of the current challenges.