Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine is likely contributing to a shortage of doctors in Russia, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on Feb. 11.
Most likely, up to 3,000 Russian medical workers were mobilized to “help with fighting medical care,” while up to 2% of medical professionals left Russia after the September 2022 mobilization.
It says the war in Ukraine “contributes to the shortage of medical professionals across Russia,” according to the ministry.
The ministry said there is a shortage of doctors in 22 Russian regions, “and in another seven, it is assessed as severe.”
In addition, last November, the Russian Ministry of Health reported that the medical sector is short of 26,500 doctors and 58,200 nurses. The January 2024 estimate shows that the number of doctors in Russia declined to 7,500 in the past 15 months, with many blaming long working hours and low pay, according to the report.
In its report on the 2024 budget, the Russian State Duma Committee on Regional Policy said that the “poorest regions of Russia would have problems financing medical salaries,” according to the report.
“The large resources and monetary burden of supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine are negatively affecting many of the civilian sectors serving the Russian population,” the ministry said.
“There is no indication that the trend of cutting the number of healthcare professionals in Russia will change in 2024. “