Survey: every third doctor did not receive the promised payments for working with COVID-19 patients

Moreover, it was previously noted that during the epidemic, doctors of all specialties were involved and even invited senior students of medical schools to help.

"In particular, the payment was refused district physicians, who observed COVID-patients at home", - is listed in the survey market research firm RNC Pharma and "Doctor at work".

The survey involved more than 1,500 doctors, among whom 71% said that they directly treated patients with coronavirus. Among them, only 11% say that they received the required payments in full. Another 19% said that they began to pay money only after a devastating meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 15.

Recall that at the beginning of the spread of the epidemic, Russian President Vladimir Putin promised an increase to all doctors, nurses, paramedics and nurses for working with coronavirus patients from 25 thousand to 80 thousand rubles, depending on the qualification of the physician. However, doctors in the regions were given an increase not for the very fact of working in conditions of increased risk, but for hours and minutes spent with patients. As a result, instead of the promised 50 thousand, the medical assistant, for example, received as much as 250 rubles in increase. After numerous complaints from doctors, the president drew attention to the problem. Putin said that he did not ask the regional ministers of health and the head doctors of the hospital to take into account the per-minute work of doctors in the regions and ordered all health workers to be paid in full.

Another 20% of doctors said that the situation with payments has not changed even after a meeting with the president. “The hospital management explains the delays in payments by the fact that everything needs to be calculated correctly, but for this you need to wait,” the experts commented. One of the doctors interviewed noted that by May 21 in their hospital, an increase was partially given for April. After the clinic’s health workers complained to the authorities, the clinic’s management threatened to dismiss everyone who was unhappy.

It was previously noted that dismissal was threatened by all the chief physicians of Samara clinics if their subordinates refused to go to work with coronavirus patients.

One survey participant said that not all doctors and nurses who are involved in treating patients with coronavirus also receive payments in their hospital. The doctors alone share the benefits evenly with the whole team.

Every second Russian doctor who did not participate in the treatment of patients with coronavirus noted that his income declined during the epidemic. During this period, doctors mostly remained on a bare salary, without receiving any additional payments or bonuses. One in ten doctors said they were sent on free leave. And only 2% of the doctors surveyed say that their income has even grown a little.

Earlier, a third of Russian doctors said they had never passed a coronavirus test. This was stated even by doctors of those specialties that are directly involved in the treatment of patients with the new virus. Every fifth doctor interviewed has evidence that the authorities are manipulating statistics on coronavirus, both up and down. More than half of the doctors surveyed doubt the reliability of official mortality data.