June 11, Pozirk. The Belarusian healthcare system has substantial human resources and should use them rationally, said Volha Kalupanava, department head at the Ministry of Health.
Her comments come amid reports of doctor shortages and long queues at state-run outpatient clinics.
“I cannot say that we have a problem, a staff shortage, especially among specialists in the regions,” the official told reporters in Minsk. “We’ve introduced a system of fast-track certification for doctors of related specialty through advanced training programs.”
General practitioners can retrain as cardiologists, endocrinologists or neurologists. Every year, about 20,000 doctors and 15,000 medical workers take these courses, Kalupanava said.
The fast-track system has come under fire from health professionals who fled Belarus after 2020 mass postelection protests fearing political persecution.
Earlier, doctor Stanisłaŭ Sałaviej, the opposition United Transitional Cabinet’s social welfare chief, told Pozirk that retraining is a suspiciously swift process. A therapist can retrain as a neurologist in four months for a clinic to cover both positions, he said. In some areas, a doctor may perform different specialty functions even before retraining, he added.
On June 11, the national job bank listed 2,833 openings for specialist physicians.
