The number of appeals to the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee on healthcare issues decreased by almost 35%

August 17, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The number of citizens' appeals to the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee in January-July this year decreased by almost 35% compared to the same period last year regarding healthcare issues, but increased by 76% regarding construction problems, the Administrator of Affairs of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexey Matyushko, told a BELTA correspondent.

In seven months of 2011, the regional executive committee received 2.1 thousand written and oral appeals from citizens, which is 80% of the level of January-July 2010. The number of repeated appeals decreased by more than a third, and out of 48 received appeals, only 6 repeated appeals were recognized as justified, and the necessary measures were taken for them.

Speaking about the structure of the received appeals, Alexey Matyushko stated that issues of housing and communal services, housing legislation, as well as labor, employment, and social protection still prevail, accounting for 29.3%, 13.2%, and 7.7% of complaints, respectively. Compared to the 7 months of 2010, there was a decrease in appeals in all blocks of issues except construction, education and science, and law and order, for which an increase of 76.3%, 4.8%, and 1.7% respectively was noted.

There was a decrease of more than 20% in appeals regarding housing and communal services. However, people continue to be concerned about the deadlines and quality of major repairs of the housing stock, landscaping, and water supply. According to Alexey Matyushko, many issues could have been avoided if local authorities had timely informed people and provided objective information about the deadlines for work, as well as maintained strict control over the work performed by contracting organizations.

This year, the regional executive committee notes a significant decrease in appeals regarding healthcare issues - by almost 35%, while no justified complaints about the work of medical personnel were received this year. This was facilitated by the measures taken to strengthen the material and technical base of the region's medical institutions.

According to Alexey Matyushko, direct telephone hotlines, which are held weekly by the leadership of the regional executive committee and its structural divisions, contribute to preventing an increase in the number of appeals. Over seven months, the chairman of the regional executive committee and his deputies held 26 "direct telephone hotlines," during which more than 600 people appealed. The regional executive committee also has a "hotline" telephone, which citizens can call in case of urgent problems. Since the beginning of the year, 142 people have called the "hotline."-0-