Russia's ambulance crisis deepens amid budget cuts and staffing woes

The Russian healthcare system is on the brink of collapse due to budget cuts and a lack of personnel. In many regions, the response time for ambulances to reach patients has significantly increased. In some places, like Nizhny Novgorod, half of the calls are not attended to on time, affecting about 30 people daily. "This situation is characteristic of the entire country," notes Andrei Konoval, co-chair of the trade union, as quoted by the "Moscow Times".

The situation is dire throughout Russia. In Bryansk, the wait time for an ambulance can be up to 10 hours. This affected a person suffering from high blood pressure and a damaged heart. The emergency call was made to medics before 2 PM and was handled before 10 PM local time.

In Veliky Novgorod, an ambulance was called for an aggressive person, and the wait was six hours. A patient with acute pain and swelling of the limbs waited two hours longer. For a man who was suffocating, help arrived after 1.5 hours, and for someone who was beaten and had a bleeding head, it took 3 hours.

In the St. Petersburg area, waiting to connect with a dispatcher can take up to an hour. The wait for help can be up to 4 hours. In Stavropol, one vehicle operates on the line instead of the required four. In the Nizhny Novgorod region, as of October 1, 2024, the employment rate was less than 60 percent. Across Russia, there is a shortage of more than 23,000 doctors and 63,000 mid-level staff.

According to the "Moscow Times," the war in Ukraine has led to drastic cuts in the health budget, exacerbating the staffing crisis. Another issue is the massive recruitment of workers for the military.