Focus on population preservation: head of Primorye Oleg Kozhemyako sums up the year for regional healthcare

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Improvement of public health, population preservation, and stimulating demographic processes: these themes were key during the collegial meeting of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Primorye region. The formal event, which was held on 23 December at the National Centre RUSSIA in Primorye, was opened by the head of the region, Oleg Kozhemyako.

"National goals have been set before us. They have been outlined by the President of Russia, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, and include the following: increasing life expectancy, improving the demographic situation, and raising birth rate indicators. Fulfilling these tasks will ensure the development potential of our country's future. Your attention, as specialists in the field, to women who are just planning to start a family, to have a child — is extremely important. There are, of course, positive examples. We have three times fewer abortions. This means the work we are doing together with you, the church, and public organisations — is bearing fruit," emphasised Oleg Kozhemyako. 

According to the Governor, staffing the healthcare sector plays a huge role in improving health and demographics. Therefore, particular attention is paid to training young specialists. Currently, nine branches of the Vladivostok Basic Medical College operate in the region. The Dalnegorsk branch demonstrates clear effectiveness — 85 percent of its graduates are now employed at the city hospital, he added.

In total, 1,872 students are currently preparing for graduation in the region, planning to link their future with the state healthcare system.

"Staffing remains one of the main issues for the healthcare system. We operate a targeted recruitment scheme for graduates of medical educational institutions to fulfil work assignments. This is good practice, allowing us to fill village and rural medical institutions with qualified specialists. In connection with this, a major responsibility lies with chief doctors. We must ensure that graduates from our Pacific State Medical University and universities in other regions come to work for us, for our state healthcare institutions, that they see their future here, and link their lives with the Primorye region," stated Oleg Kozhemyako.

The Governor also specified that substantial funds are allocated annually from the regional budget for updating and modernising healthcare system equipment and infrastructure. Thus, in 2025, four paramedic-and-obstetrics stations were built in the Ussuriysk, Anuchino, and Terney districts, and one doctors' outpatient clinic — also in the Anuchino district. Major repairs were carried out in 30 medical institutions, and landscaping works were done in seven. Medical equipment worth 760 million roubles was purchased, including MRI machines for the Regional Children's Hospital No. 1 and the Dalnegorsk Central City Hospital. Six computer tomographic scanners were repaired using regional budget funds.

According to the Governor, major work is being done to renew the healthcare vehicle fleet. Initially, the regional budget for next year allocated 330 million roubles for 57 ambulances; however, later, due to existing demand, a decision was made to purchase around 180 ambulances by attracting additional financing mechanisms.

"2025 — the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland — is drawing to a close. Medical care for participants and veterans of the special military operation, and their family members — is one of the most important priorities in Primorye. This year, we launched a new, modern rehabilitation centre for our servicemen. Here, we managed to organise a system of comprehensive care for patients on their path to returning to family and society. To implement this concept, we directed 348 million roubles from the regional budget," stated Oleg Kozhemyako. 

In a formal setting, the Governor awarded distinguished healthcare workers of Primorye. The head of the region presented the "Honoured Healthcare Worker of Primorye Region" badges of distinction to specialists of the Primorye Regional Clinical Hospital No. 1: to Mikhail Antonov, head of the surgical department for coordinating human organ and tissue donation, and to Alexei Novikov, head of the anaesthesiology and intensive care unit.

Cardiovascular surgeon Leonid Shek of the Primorye Regional Clinical Hospital No. 1 was awarded the honorary badge "Primorye. For Merits".

Honorary certificates from the Governor of the Primorye region were received by employees of the regional Ministry of Healthcare — chief freelance specialist in anaesthesiology and intensive care Pavel Knyazenko, head of the department for organising medical care for women and children and specialised medical care Yelena Ibragimova, and chief consultant of the department for organising medical care for the adult population within the primary care management division Irina Povilichenko.

A Letter of Gratitude from the Governor of the Primorye region was awarded to the deputy chief physician for supplies of the Vladivostok Clinical Hospital No. 1, Ksenia Yaglinskaya; the chief freelance oncologist specialist of the Primorye Ministry of Healthcare, Elvira Tokareva; the chief freelance endocrinologist specialist of the regional Ministry of Healthcare, Olga Tsygankova; as well as the head nurse of the Pogranichnaya Central District Hospital, Yelena Putiy.