Medical centers may lose ¼ of employees due to new licensing rules. According to the decree #475, which came into force on 1 March, only specialists of the first and highest grade will be able to work in private clinics and spas. Most affected will be small medical centers and private dental offices.
Under the new rules, not only doctors should have the first grade, but also the entire medical staff. To get it, the person’s professional experience is to be more than 5 years. The information on the fulfilment of the new requirements is to be submitted to the Ministry of Health by 1 June this year.
“If a specialist is good, even if they do not have the highest grade, then all is well, they shhould be able to work,” said a resident of Minsk.
“These doctors will join the ranks of the unemployed,” predicts a woman.
“To get a grade, all of these doctors are studying in ordinary clinics on us, ordinary citizens. On the other hand, this could be a good measure to cut off unprofessional workers,” said the passer-by. “If you pay money, you need to know, what you pay for,” said the young man.
The decree adopted by Lukashenka, prohibits the freshly graduated doctors and nurses to get a job at private centers. Doctors have to work in public hospitals and clinics for a minimum of 5 years. At the same time, the decree abolishes licensing for public medical centers and clinics.
“The logic probably is that in public health facilities, the level of specialists will fall, since people without the grade or professionals with lower grades will be able to work in state hospitals,” says Tamara Karalyova, Director of the Association of Applied Aesthetics and spa.
Among other things, the new decree will hit the spas – most of them in Belarus are private. According to experts, the changes in licensing will lead to massive layoffs and bankruptcy of some small companies, and the level of investment in the medical field will reduce dramatically.
Nastassia Khralovich Belsat
