Healthcare Outside Moscow Deteriorating Due to Putin’s Policies

This Op-Ed analyzes the widening disparity in healthcare quality between Moscow and Russia's poorer regions, attributing the decline to President Vladimir Putin's healthcare optimization policies and the financial strain of the war in Ukraine. Citing a Radio Liberty survey, the article highlights that residents in major cities enjoy significantly longer life expectancies due to better access to medical treatment. In contrast, provincial areas suffer from severe resource shortages, exemplified by a critical lack of MRI machines in regions like Tyva compared to Moscow. The report notes that local budgets are insufficient to fund adequate healthcare, particularly affecting services not covered by mandatory insurance, such as psychiatry, tuberculosis, HIV care, and palliative services. Consequently, while healthcare standards are dropping nationwide, those living outside the capital region face the most drastic reductions in service quality and diagnostic capabilities, creating significant bottlenecks in treatment and early disease detection.