Lukashenka: Power Vertical Up To Ministry Of Health, If Not Above, Is Affected By Corruption
- 11.09.2018, 15:04
The dictator says that he gave the order to start the "physicians’ case."
On September 11, at a meeting on problematic issues in the healthcare system and personnel appointments, Lukashenka explained the large-scale anti-corruption measures in this sphere, the dictator's press service reports.
"Since last year, I’ve been receiving information that the number of cases concerned with corruption in medicine has increased dramatically – almost twice. Unfortunately, the facts of corruption happen everywhere, but in the health care the problem has become not an occasional, but a continuous, systemic one. It touches not only individual officials, but it affected almost the entire vertical – from private traders, military personnel, civil servants to the Ministry of Health, and perhaps even higher, the investigation will deal with it. I set a principled and tough task – not to find the "scapegoats," but literally uproot this infection, to get to the main organizers of this lawlessness. So there’s no need to guess anything, it was my assignment to the controlling and law enforcement bodies. I’ve told you the reason," – Lukashenka said.
As a result of the carried out "work," almost 100 people got under investigation. "When it is over, the court will determine who is guilty and how much. But those facts, which have been revealed, do not cause doubts," – the ruler emphasized.
We remind that on June 25, KGB chairman Valer Vakulchyk reported that the committee had uncovered a large-scale corruption scheme in the healthcare sector of Belarus, several dozen people were detained. The director of the Center for Expertise and Testing in Healthcare, Aliaksandr Staliarou, the director of the Belmedtekhnika enterprise, Aliaksandr Sharak, the head of the Health Department of the Hrodna Region Executive Committee, Andrei Stryzhak, and the head of the military medical department of the Defense Ministry, Aliaksei Yaskou, were among them.
Later it became known about the detention of Deputy Minister of Health Ihar Lasitski, the head physician of the Minsk regional hospital, Andrei Karalko, the director of the Republican Scientific and Practical Center of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Aliaksandr Bialetski, the chief physician of the 9th hospital, Valer Kushniarenka, and the head of the endoscopic department, Andrei Sauchanka. In mid-August, the measure of restraint was changed for some of the detainees. Among the representatives of large private business, the owner of Iskamed, Siarhei Shakutsin, and chairman of the board of directors of the largest private pharmacy chain Apteka Group, Leanid Tomchyn, were detained in the summer.