Belarusian opposition website “Solidarity” obtained a document produced by the Ministry of Health, which obligates medical personnel of Minsk hospitals to “fight against discrediting state authorities and the policy implemented by the state”.
A full name of the document is “The plan of action for the Health Care Executive Committee for the implementation of the action against drawing youth into destructive activities by the health care organizations for years 2011-2012”, which sounds a lot like a title from years of Stalinist propaganda.
The new head of the Ministry of Health is Viktor Sirenka, a former director of a hospital in Minsk. After the opposition demonstration on December 19th, 2010, Sirenka allowed the special forces to enter his hospital and kidnapped seriously injured Uladzimir Niaklayev, an opposition presidential candidate. He also changed Niaklayev’s diagnosis from serious into minor injuries.
Except from the regular set of recommendations for Orwell-style brain washing, the document calls for conducting a contest for creating patriotic computer games. Another suggestion from the Plan is “developing and monitoring a level of patriotism among patients” treated in the hospitals.
But this is not the end of the ideological measures recommended to Minsk doctors. They are also supposed to “detect and deter activities of young people and university professors who spread extremist ideas”, as well conduct preventive actions “in cooperation with the Orthodox Church”.
As a “Solidarity” website commentator noticed – while Belarus is a world leader in price increases and has undergone a drastic national currency devaluation, the program has slim chances of success – even if all the ER doctors will participate. “This patient is rather dead than alive” – he concludes.
Michał Janczuk (TV Belsat)
