Russia needs to start a large-scale health-care reform in 2011, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
"This year, we should work gradually to prepare and make decisions, and starting next year, begin large-scale changes in the medical sphere," Putin said during his address to the lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma.
The prime minister said the Russian government would allocate 300 billion rubles ($10 billion) for the modernization of medical institutions over the next two years.
"Over 30% of the country's medical institutions are hazardous or in need of major repairs, despite everything that has been already done [...] Many hospitals and polyclinics do not have the necessary equipment to provide the kind of medical help that meets modern requirements," Putin said.
MOSCOW, April 20 (RIA Novosti)
