Veronika Skvortsova: Labor migrants from the EEA countries will receive full medical insurance in Russia

ArmInfo. "Cooperation between Russia and Armenia has been developing in various spheres for 25 years and among them one of the most significant is the healthcare sphere," Armenian Health Minister Levon Altunyan said on September 26 within the framework of the Armenian-Russian health forum.

The Minister noted that the health of the population should be the most important goal for medical personnel. Altunyan noted that the resources allocated to the healthcare sphere are not always spent efficiently. "For the development of any sphere, it is necessary to acquire new knowledge and share experience with our colleagues." The experience of our colleagues from Russia is very interesting for us, "the minister said.

Among the issues on the agenda, Altunyan highlighted the problem of tobacco control and measures taken by Russia and Armenia to reduce the number of smokers in the country. He also named the health of migrants and issues related to the turnover of medicines within the framework of the EAES an important topic. "The main result for us is the healthy population of our citizens," concluded Altunyan.  In turn, the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation Veronika Skvortsova congratulated the citizens of Armenia on the occasion of the Independence Day of September 21 and noted that she hopes that this forum will have a positive outcome for both countries. According to Skvortsov, there are many topics on the agenda that require discussion, one of which is the sphere of tobacco control. "Russia, like Armenia, is a member of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and we are fighting this harmful habit since 2008. In 2009, according to the global adult survey, the number of smokers in the Russian Federation declined from 39 to 30, 9%, and the percentage of smokers among children and adolescents has significantly decreased, "the Minister of Health said.

The forum will also discuss issues of medical tourism and the formation of a unified market for medicines and medical products.

According to the Minister of Health of Russia, one of the most important aspects is the free medical insurance of labor migrants. As Skvortsova noted, migrant workers from the EEA, in particular from Armenia, will receive full medical insurance in Russia. At the moment, migrants, many of them from Armenia, get emergency medical help. "An agreement has been prepared that migrant workers will be provided with full medical insurance policies, and the package of medical assistance will be extended to members of families of labor migrants." The agreement of the Armenian side is needed to implement this program, "Skvortsova said.

Levon Altunyan assured that the Armenian government will consider the proposal of Russian colleagues in a short time and noted that there will be no obstacles from the Armenian side. "Moreover, the Armenian government cares about the health of its citizens and we intend to do our bit," - said the Minister.  Let us note that from January 1, 2017 labor migrants residing in Russia, as well as their families from the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAPC), have access to free medical care - the Pole of Mandatory Medical Insurance (OMI) and.

The forum was also attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Armenia Ivan Volynkin, representatives of the clergy. The Prime Minister of Armenia, who was supposed to attend the event because of employment, could not participate in the forum, but conveyed the best wishes to the participants of the forum.