Belarusians With COVID-19 May Can Free Medicines, But Doctors Keep Silent About It

Euroradio figured out why patients are left unawares.

A man whose family has been ill with a coronavirus contacted the editorial office of Euroradio. He found documents on the website of legal information that Belarusians who are being treated for COVID-19 at home have the right to receive medicines for free. But during the treatment, not a single doctor told him about it.

“Moreover, as it turned out, many doctors hear about it for the first time,” the listener is indignant. “I think that publicizing this serious problem will help solve all the issues, since the money spent on treatment is very serious: we ended up with a total of about BYN 300 per person”.

Indeed, on June 15, 2020, the Council of Ministers of Belarus adopted Resolution No. 344, according to which the COVID-19 infection was included in the list of diseases that entitle patients undergoing treatment at home to receive medicines free of charge. The list of medicines was approved by the order of the Ministry of Health dated June 5, 2020 #615 “On the provision of medical care to patients with COVID-19 infection”. The list includes:

Paracetamol 500 mg (tablets);

Azithromycin 500 mg and 250 mg (capsule tablets);

Amoxicillin / clavulanic acid 875/125 mg (tablets);

Clarithromycin 500 mg (tablets);

Cefuroxime axetil 500 mg (tablets);

Levofloxacin 750 mg (tablets).

However, the majority of Belarusians do not receive medicines. Why? Maybe there are some exceptions for which they were not allowed for us?

Free medicines? No, haven't heard

Out of 40 Belarusians who have had coronavirus, only two told reporters that they knew about free medicines. One read about them on the Internet, another was told by friends.

“The doctors did not offer them. When I asked if it was possible to somehow get meds for free, they answered that what I needed was not prescribed for free,” Natallia from Minsk explains.

This is even more interesting. You can't get what you need for free, but you can get only what you don't need for free? How do the doctors themselves explain this?

To the polyclinic, as to the “order table”, with their lists of medicines

The head physician of the central polyclinic #25 of the Maskouski district of Minsk Mikalai Zubialevich assures that patients are told about their rights. True, many of those who fall ill come to the polyclinic as to the “order table” with their lists of drugs that they want to be treated with.

The head physician redirects the journalists to his deputy for the medical unit Volha Shymanets. She immediately writes down the address of the family of patients who have not been warned about the benefits.

“It is necessary to resolve the issue with the doctor who did not inform the patient,” the deputy chief physician apologizes. “Maybe some individual doctors do not speak about it, but everyone is informed, there is such an order. I will pay attention to this, thank you.”

She also adds that now antibiotics are rarely prescribed in polyclinic # 25 (“prescribed on a privilege basis”) and only when a bacterial infection adds up.

The patient was prescribed this treatment in the hospital

The Minsk polyclinic #12 also records the address of a former patient who said that he had not been warned about free medications.

A few hours later, they called us back and explained: the patient from the start turned to the hospital for help. There he underwent a blood test, CT scan, and they also took a smear for PCR. There they also prescribed medications, including an antibiotic. Like, the clinic has nothing to do with this situation.

But nevertheless, the polyclinic admits: since the patient's further observation took place under their supervision, they had to warn him about free medicines: “We are writing out preferential prescriptions [for free medicines - note], which are purchased in pharmacies. The financing comes from the budget, as well as for the entire preferential prescriptions,” adds Tatsiana Razhnova, deputy head physician for the medical unit.

They do not want to be treated with Belarusian meds, and paracetamol is cheap anyway

“Doctors know that there is such a decree,” says Yury Papovich, deputy chief physician for the Ministry of Economic Development of polyclinic #17 in Minsk. “I am not ready to answer why they do not warn patients. I think that if there is a decree, they should prescribe free medicines. However, when the virus goes asymptomatic or, for example, there is only a fever, paracetamol is normally prescribed, which already costs a penny.”

In the infectious department office of the Minsk hospital #13, they assure that people are offered to receive medicines free of charge. However, only Belarusian-made medicines are provided in pharmacies on preferential prescriptions.

“Most patients want to buy imported meds at full cost, and not Belarusian ones at a discount,” they explain to us.

What's in the end?

Many faced the situation when the pharmacy offered them to buy imported medicines, referring to the fact that they are of better quality. There are those who are ready to overpay, but not to buy domestic drugs. On the other hand, not everyone can afford expensive treatment, especially when several family members have become infected with the “corona”. And how inappropriate if in such cases the doctors forget that Belarusian medicines can be obtained free of charge.