Russian post offices to assume medical roles amid rural doctor shortage
The acute shortage of qualified medical personnel in Russian rural areas has led to post offices now taking on medical duties, The Moscow Times reported on Telegram on July 2, citing state propaganda.
Rural post offices will open paramedic and midwifery points (PMP), the Russian authorities said.
Postal workers will be tasked not only with their immediate duties but also with diagnosing local residents and performing various medical procedures.
Russian publicist Alexander Nevzorov has already described this practice as a return to the "Middle Ages."
However, Alan Kozonov, the director of the Russian Post, sees "great prospects" in this idea, claiming it will allegedly increase postal workers' salaries and solve the problem of doctor shortages in villages.
His position is supported by the Russian Federal Council.
"We cannot allow the closure of post offices," said Ivan Yevstafyev, a member of the economic policy committee.
"We need to find ways to preserve postal services in rural areas. There is experience in the regions of combining offices with multifunctional centers (MFCs) and PMPs. And, of course, to overcome staff shortages and low wages."
While postal workers treat residents in Russian villages, local pensioners in Belgorod Oblast have been assigned the task of extinguishing fires, provided with fire extinguishers for this purpose.
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