MOSCOW. Jan 23 (Interfax-AVN) - The main medical department of the Russian Defense Ministry has worked out the program of transition to a single system of medical support of the Armed Forces and Russia's other law-enforcement agencies, department chief Colonel General Ivan Chizh said on Thursday.
"The program of transition to a single system of medical support of the Armed Forces and other law-enforcement agencies was worked out in the framework of the Interdepartmental Unified Logistics Support System for the Armed Forces and other law- enforcement agencies that was approved by the Russian government on February 19, 2002. Transition to this system is to be completed before 2006," Chizh told reporters.
Over 900,000 people are treated annually by military medical facilities of the Defense Ministry. "Nearly 50,000 of them are servicemen of other law-enforcement agencies, first of all, the Interior Ministry troops, Railway Troops, Special Construction Department, etc. Everything depends on the region. For instance, in the North Caucasus military district, more than 30 percent of servicemen from other law-enforcement agencies are treated by the Defense Ministry's facilities," Chizh said.