Russia’s proposed restrictions on condom imports would make citizens more ‘disciplined’, and may also help raise the birth rate, Putin’s advisor Onishchenko was quoted by Russian media as saying. Gennady Onishchenko, a former chief sanitary doctor in Russia, said Tuesday that ‘rubber technical goods [condoms] have nothing to do with health’.
Onishchenko supported the idea of import restrictions proposed by the Industry and Trade Ministry, which also called for a ban on X-ray and ultrasound machines, defibrillators, incubators and other medical equipment.
‘We will produce our own walking sticks’
The latest proposal of the Ministry of Industry and Trade suggests the resignation of a number of state orders that Russia is placing abroad. The restrictions were introduced in February and currently the list includes 46 items. Now another 100 may be added.
The proposed list includes defibrillators, portable X-ray machines, ultrasound scanners, incubators for newborns, apparatus for artificial respiration and different types of prosthesic devices. Even diabetic tests, bandages, and even walking sticks, crutches, walkers and anti-bedsore mattresses. “We will produce our own walking sticks,” Onishchenko responded to the allegations that Russian hospitals may run out of equipment produced in the West.
But it is the intention to stop purchases of condoms for the needs of state and municipal clinics that has caused an uproar on the Internet.
The draft resolution has already been published, and a public debate over the issue is to be conducted. Gennady Onishchenko has spoken out on the issue of latex products – the Gennady Onishchenko, who, being as the Russia’s chief sanitary official, repeatedly banned imports of foodstuffs from the countries that had political controversies with Russia.
Anti-import ‘demographic’ idea
Now Russia is having a falling-out with the entire world, and Onishchenko could not stay on the sidelines and echoed the proposal of the ban on foreign condoms.
Banning condom imports “will simply make one more disciplined, more strict and discriminating in choosing partners, and maybe will do a favor to our society in respect to solving demographic problems,” Onishchenko said.
As far as the other items are concerned, Onishchenko expressed confidence that they might be substituted for domestic products.
Honoured artist’s empathy
Fancy that Russians would go without condoms and walking stics. But what about infant incubators?Not only Onishchenko’s statements prove the fact that Russia has other priorities now. Iosif Kobzon, ‘Kremlin’s nightingale’ and a veteran of the Soviet and Russian stage explained it in layman’s terms in the children’s clinical hospital in Crimea’s Simferopol.
At his press conference, asked about financial aid to Crimea’s health service, the singer said that a child’s illness is misery and compassion for mothers, but stressed that it would be better to raise funds for entire Crimea.
Assisting Crimea ‘on the whole’ is more prioritized than raising foreign currency and cure a child abroad, Kobzon believes.
Only Putin’s doctor may write out prescription?
Indeed, after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the region is facing problems with medicines. Delivery contracts with Ukrainewere broken, pharmacies ran out of foreign medicines. The current offer is much poorer, and besides, expensive Russian drugs are worse, too, patients who complain of fakes in Crimean pharmacies, say. Now they are trying to buy medicines in Ukraine.
And Kobzon’s words triggered a wave of indignation. Not least because in early July the honoured artist of Russia ,who is subject to visa sanctions of the European Union, said that if he had to be treated abroad, he would ask … Vladimir Putin for help.
Cez/MS, www.belsat.eu/en/
