Most frequent violations in medical centers include imposition of services and overpricing

18 мая 2022
The quality medical care is available to everyone. To ensure this important principle, the State Control Committee continues to monitor private medical centers. There are about 2,000 such centers in our country, but not more than two dozen can be called the major players in the market. They draw the attention of the State Control Committee more often than others, and for good reason: overpricing, imposing services, and even the provision of medical care without a license. 

The SCC continues to monitor medical centers

Treating patients with quality care according to state standards and providing safe conditions for all patients is a simple truth that seems to be true for those who took on the job of a doctor. However, control measures show the opposite picture. Today, the State Control Committee continues to monitor private clinics.

Imposition of services and overpricing are the most common violations

Yulia Avtukhova, Head of the Main Department of the State Control Committee of Belarus:

 The control activities showed a systematic pattern of detected violations. The commercial centers were allowed to impose services at regulated prices, but the services were offered in the form of a package  with duplicate services. And the duplicate manipulations raised the cost of services by 10-15%.

Orthopedic surgeries without license

The branch of the Bekhterev Medical Center in Minsk has been performing orthopedic surgeries for almost 10 years without a license of the Ministry of Health for this type of activity. 

Dmitry Dyagilev, deputy head of the Financial Investigation Department of the State Control Committee of Belarus:

“Nordin Medical Center did not have an operating department that meets the requirement for a license. In this connection the license requirements were grossly violated and orthopedic operations were performed which were not included in the license. Knowing well that orthopedic surgeries were prohibited, the management allowed doctors to perform surgeries, while they advertised their services through their website.”

During the inspection of the premises they found documents, items, and records – the evidence of such surgeries. In their documentation orthopedic intervention was hidden under the guise of surgery. But neither falsification nor tax evasion could be concealed. The legal evaluation of the actions will be given in accordance with the Criminal Code. 

Salary in envelopes

Inspection in the "Nordin" continues. They are studying the issues of concealment of proceeds, including wages in envelopes. 

Manipulations with hospital certificates

They violated the requirements of clinical protocols and did not observe the order of emergency treatment. But most of all, we are amazed by manipulations with the hospital registration forms. 

Yulia Avkhukova, head of the main department of the State Control Committee of Belarus:

“During an inspection of LODE, unreasonable issuance of sick leaves, about a hundred sheets, was found. The sick leaves were issued despite the age of the disease. For example, three months after the injury of the finger bone, the patient applied for a sick leave and received it.” 

To protect the rights of patients, the State Control Committee sent recommendations to medical centers of the country with requirements to recalculate the cost of services, to give patients the right to choose without imposing unnecessary examinations, consultations and procedures. Some of them joined the elimination promptly. It took only a few weeks to eliminate the deficiencies in one of the centers in Minsk.

Oleg Kobanov, leading economist of a private clinic in Minsk:

“Recommendations were made, following which we optimized the cost of radiology diagnostic complexes. As a result the prices for many items decreased from 5% to 20%.”

And this positive trend is visible not only in Minsk, there is a result in some regional centers as well. In Brest, for example, after the intervention of the supervisory body, the ultrasound, MRI and about 20 other types of medical services became cheaper.