Health official says lack of supplies, poor logistics cause delays in joint replacements

June 5, BPN. Shortage of materials and disrupted supply routes have caused delays in endoprosthesis surgeries in Belarus, deputy health minister Juryj Horbič told ONT TV channel in an interview broadcast on Sunday evening.

The comments come weeks after Alaksandr Łukašenka instructed Minister of Health Dźmitryj Pinievič to treat over 13,000 patients waiting a joint replacement operation before the end of the year.

ONT would not comment on an any link between the waiting list and last year’s crackdown on surgeons.

Wait times have increased dramatically after law enforcers arrested 35 orthopedic surgeons for allegedly taking bribes from private suppliers of implants.

All were released at Pinievič’s request after spending a week or longer in detention, but the surgeons were transferred to other hospitals, not specializing in joint replacement, in punishment.

“We don’t know what really happened,” doctor Uładzimir Martaŭ told BPN. “Details [of the case] remain unclear except for the sweeping accusations on TV [reported last year]. People were held in custody for a while and now they are paying some money [in damages and fines]. No trials, no verdicts, no public discussion.”

Belarus has only about fifty doctors qualified to perform complex joint replacement surgeries, Martaŭ said.