Health Ministry blamed for corruption

Tamilla Karimova, chairperson of the Health Commission of the Azerbaijan National Committee of Helsinki Citizens Assembly (ANC HCA) held a news conference on Wednesday to elaborate on corruption cases in the medical institutions of the country.

Karimova said that the Ministry of Public Health stated that it had launched a reform to provide free medical service to population since January 1, 2004. She noted that though some types of payable medical service had been abolished in ambulatories and polyclinics, medical service in clinical hospitals still cost much money. The monthly salaries of medical workers have not been increased.

Stressing the abuse of human rights in the sphere of health set by the Constitution, Karimova underlined that the most egregious fact was that government entities had shown indifference to all irregularities. She underlined that Health Minister Ali Insanov’s statements, which read that medical service brings high profits, were groundless. According to Karimova, the profits include certain amount of money cut from the monthly salaries of medical workers involved in paid service and at the same time, the fact on providing free medical service to population is hidden. Moreover, it remains obscure to the public what part of the profits is used for patients.

Karimova went on to say that the ‘reform’ conducted by the health Ministry was useful only for minister Insanov and those who are engaged in authority activity but not in treatment the sphere of health. She also underscored that the doctors, who didn’t take bribe from patients, were laid off by different means.*