Penza, 30 October 2015. PenzaNews. Vladimir Kerkhanadzhev, WWII veteran, fighter of the Battle for Stalingrad and the Battle of Kursk, chairman of the city council of war, labor, military and law enforcement veterans, Honorable Citizen of Penza, has harshly criticized the results of the healthcare modernization program in a speech during the 13th regular City Duma session on Friday, October 30.

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There are four area veteran organizations and 145 based in enterprises and institutions in Penza, he reminded.

“We bring together over 150,000 veterans of all categories,” stressed the chairman of the city veteran council.

703 of them are WWII veterans, the youngest one being 89 and others well over 90, Vladimir Kerkhanadzhev added.

“Half of them, about 300, are far behind 94-95, and they cannot actively participate in work of our organization due to their health,” the Second World War veteran added.

Discussing the present issues, Vladimir Kerkhanadzhev pointed out that making a phone call to the hospitalization center that had been actively promoted by the local Health Ministry through the media is practically impossible.

He frequently receives requests from the areas to help heavily sick war veterans get hospitalized, said the chairman of the city veteran council.

“To get into the clinic, you need to make an appointment in a month. How is that an optimization?” he expressed his outrage.

Vladimir Kerkhanadzhev urged the City Duma deputies to take the measures to rectify the issue.

“You need to do something. We are not getting ill following some schedule,” the veteran said.

He also added he thinks the healthcare system optimization is “destroying the current state of affairs.”

Describing other problems that worry the veterans, Vladimir Kerkhanadzhev stressed the transportation issue.

“The worst complains come from Biosintez area and Montazhny [village] – large buses don’t go there,” he explained.

The Honored Citizen of Penza also attracted the attention of the deputies towards the exorbitant communal bills prices and the absurdity of situations when the elderly are being compelled to pay capital repair costs.

“He [a veteran] pays for capital repairs scheduled in 2044, or in ten years. The World War II veterans frequently ask me about that,” the speaker pointed out.

Vladimir Kerkhanadzhev also added that many novelty changes end up being completely misunderstood by the elderly, who are in the age when “it’s impossible to understand many events.”

“We were born in the Soviet Union and have difficulties understanding different novelties and things, so we need the media to explain it all,” he suggested.

The city head Victor Kuvaytsev heard him out with great attention and promised to undertake the necessary measures to resolve the described problems.

“I am convinced this was very useful for my colleagues. We will be working on improving the situation,” he assured.

Vladimir Kerkhanadzhev plans to present detailed reports to the City Duma every quarter.