Penza, 29 October 2018. PenzaNews. Governor of the Penza region Ivan Belozertsev urged responsible executives of the Regional Oncology Centre not to save on medicines for patients.

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According to him, the results of the analysis conducted under the leadership of Elena Aksyonova, director of the regional department of the Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund, indicate that the institution purchased cheaper drugs instead of expensive ones.

“The institution has been trying to buy cheaper medicines for years. This is wrong. Expensive medicine is not only for thieves or entrepreneurs. Occupation does not matter and everyone including the janitor and the pensioner should be on an equal footing. If expensive medicine is prescribed to a person, it must be purchased. The President [of Russia Vladimir Putin] allocated money for this, big money, Vladimir Victorovich, but the approach of the doctors at the oncology centre had become obsolete as far back as 15 years ago," the head of the region said addressing minister of health of the Penza region Vladimir Stryuchkov at the action meeting in the regional government on Monday, October 29.

Elena Aksenova confirmed the data provided by Ivan Belozertsev.

"As the analysis shows, in 2018 cheaper drugs were purchased. Ivan Alexandrovich, the institution has revised their application for 2019," she explained commenting on the situation in the oncology centre.

The head of the regional department of the Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund specified that the medicines are bought at the expense of the means received by the medical institution, which it can also spend for salary.

"Now I understand why [the institution saves money on drugs]," Ivan Belozertsev commented on what he had learnt.