Keys for 66 cars were handed over to healthcare institutions of the Vitebsk region

Healthcare facilities in the Vitebsk region received keys to 66 ambulances on November 4. The ceremony, held on the eve of the October Revolution Day, took place at the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.

The "Geely Emgrand" sedans, manufactured by the Belarusian-Chinese enterprise "BELGEE," were purchased using funds from the regional and local budgets. The vehicles will be sent to all district clinics, as well as to the polyclinics of Vitebsk, Orsha, Polotsk, and Novopolotsk. The total cost of the vehicles is Br3.2 million.

Four new vehicles will be added to the fleet of the Novopolotsk Central City Hospital, which currently comprises 28 vehicles, four of which are almost new. "This is a long-awaited event for us: the institution's vehicle fleet is quite worn out, and the new vehicles are a huge help. Although Novopolotsk is quite compact, it has a large population. It is important for medical workers to reach every patient quickly and on time, and for doctors to provide quality medical care. I hope that the renewal efforts will continue, and our fleet will be fully updated within a few years," said Irina Shemenkova, chief physician of the Novopolotsk Central District Hospital.

Alexander Kovnurko has over 30 years of driving experience. He has been working at the Polotsk Central District Hospital for the last two years, transporting doctors to call addresses and patients to the necessary medical facilities in a Lada Vesta. Sometimes the destination is outside the district. "We transport patients from Polotsk to Vitebsk, and even travel across the country. Sometimes it comes down to minutes, and the result depends on the quality of our transport. It is important that the vehicle does not fail, and a new one is always better. This is a great help for hospitals and clinics," he said.

Now drivers and doctors of polyclinics that have received new cars will be able to handle a larger number of calls, is confident Konstantin Trubetsky, a driver at the Beshenkovichi Central District Hospital. His previous work car had been in operation for seven years, he says, it was time to replace it, as equipment is not eternal. "We mainly go on house calls, to young patients. An ambulance works on minutes, but we also have situations when we bring a doctor, and it turns out that children need to be urgently taken to the hospital," shared Konstantin Trubetsky.

"We are involved with ambulances, but there is also an urgent care service operating at polyclinics and medical outpatient clinics. It directly goes on house calls and operates during the daytime, relieving the ambulance, as not all calls are urgent and not all are handled by the ambulance. The vehicles will also be sent to remote settlements for specialist visits and narrow consultations, to arrive at a rural outpatient clinic to examine a patient more thoroughly, and if necessary, to conduct medical examinations of patients in rural areas," noted Mikhail Vishnevetsky, Head of the Main Department of Healthcare of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.

According to him, the fleet of passenger cars that were needed for the region's medical institutions is now fully equipped. "Next, we will need to update the stretcher transport. I think we won't delay with this. Most likely, in 2024, we will plan the renewal of stretcher transport," added the head of the regional health department.

"BELTA"