From 2015 to 2019, Belarusian health resorts have been constantly increasing the volume of services provided and the proceeds from their sale.

The average occupancy rate of sanatorium-resort and health-improving organizations by 2020 was 84.2 percent, which is 5 percentage points more than in 2015.

The Center coordinates the development of a network of sanatorium-resort and health-improving organizations.

Currently, there are 306 sanatorium-resort and health-improving organizations for 66,000 people in the republic, of which: 106 sanatorium-resorts for 29,000 people and 200 health-improving organizations for 37,000 people.

The existing bed fund and the average annual occupancy of health resorts at the level of 80 percent make it possible to provide about 1 million 300 thousand people with sanatorium treatment and rehabilitation annually.

In 2020, 801 thousand 600 people underwent sanatorium treatment and rehabilitation, of which: at the expense of public funds - 479 thousand 600 people; at the expense of legal entities and individuals - 322 thousand people.

About 460 million rubles were used for these purposes, of which more than 150 million rubles were public funds; 310 million rubles funds of legal entities and individuals.

The priority direction of the Center's work is to provide sanatorium treatment and rehabilitation of children aged 3 to 18 years.

Ensuring the interests of children is one of the conditions for sustainable development and the future of Belarus. Every year, about 80 percent of the total amount of funds allocated to the Center is directed to the implementation of benefits for sanatorium treatment and rehabilitation of children. As a result, about 50 percent of the child population of the republic aged 3 to 18 years is provided with free and cheaper vouchers.

In 2020, more than 417,000 children were provided with health resort treatment and rehabilitation at the expense of state funds.

The most important place in the state social policy is given to the health problems of the population affected by the consequences of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

In total, in 2020, only 63 million 700 thousand rubles out of 88 million 900 thousand rubles allocated for these purposes were used for sanatorium treatment and rehabilitation of the population affected by the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant from the republican budget.

Providing children with annual free sanatorium treatment and rehabilitation is one of the most significant and effective measures to reduce the negative impact of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster on their health. In 2020, more than 66 thousand of these children underwent treatment and rehabilitation, which accounted for 75 percent of the plan - 88.3 thousand children.

Particular attention was paid to the organization of children's health improvement in the summer. 17 million 300 thousand rubles were allocated to strengthen the material and technical base of stationary health-improving, sports and health-improving camps. Compared to 2019, the number of such camps has increased and amounted to 147 units.

In view of the epidemic situation, the summer recreation of students was organized strictly according to the application principle. Free and cheaper vouchers to the camps due to budget financing were provided to all children who wanted and needed. Improved - 172.9 thousand students, of which: 71.8 thousand - with a round-the-clock stay and 101.1 thousand - with a day stay.

The Center, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Education and other stakeholders, organized constant monitoring of the activities of the camps, which included all issues of the safe stay of children in the rehabilitation. This monitoring covered all functioning camps. In total - 4,046 objects, including 3,589 day and 475 non-stop.

Due to the organization of constant monitoring, high qualification and executive discipline of workers in the summer of 2020, the camps worked in the mode of sanitary and epidemiological well-being, prevented the spread of coronavirus infection among students and provided the recovery of all those who wanted and needed it.

The center provides annual sanatorium-and-spa treatment for all disabled persons and participants of the Great Patriotic War. Vouchers are issued in accordance with the wishes of these persons regarding the terms and places of treatment. In 2020, 125 disabled people and participants in the Great Patriotic War were provided with free spa treatment.

Due to the limited physical capabilities of the disabled of the Great Patriotic War, disabled children and other categories of the population in need of sanatorium treatment, health resorts need to pay increased attention to creating conditions for a barrier-free environment.

Currently, the infrastructure of sanatorium and health organizations is being brought in line with the requirements of universal design. In order to ensure the availability of sanatorium and health services for people with disabilities, health resorts create a barrier-free environment on the territories and in the premises. All activities of the relevant State Program, planned for 2016-2020, were carried out by the sanatorium and health complex of the republic full. The total number of such places as of January 1, 2021 is 506 units.

 

Ensuring the competitiveness of the system of sanatorium treatment and rehabilitation of the republic and the simultaneous availability of its services for the general population is impossible without constant systematic work to strengthen the material and technical base of health resorts, which in 2020 was not only preserved, but also strengthened. Sanatorium-resort and health-improving organizations effectively used temporary forced breaks in work, carried out repairs, purchased and installed new equipment. For these purposes, 108 million rubles were used, which is 1.4 times more than in 2019 - 78 million rubles.

In 2020, the worsening of the epidemic situation affected the work of the health resort complex of the Republic of Belarus. Due to the spread of coronavirus infection, the demand for all types of services has decreased, many health resorts were forced to suspend their activities.

The Center, in cooperation with state bodies and organizations, the owners of health resorts, took the necessary measures to ensure the operation of the system of sanatorium treatment and improvement of the population, and to maintain the potential for its further development.

Temporary guidelines were approved to counteract the spread of coronavirus infection when organizing sanatorium and resort treatment and improving the health of the population. The work of the health resort complex of the Republic of Belarus was brought into line with these recommendations in the shortest possible time.

In order to support the healthcare system, some health resorts were temporarily repurposed to provide aftercare for people who had diseases associated with coronavirus infection.

Sanatorium-resort and health-improving organizations introduced additional discounts, organized marketing activities related to lower prices for vouchers for various categories of the population, and did not raise prices for their services throughout the calendar year.

The center ensured the postponement of the terms of treatment on vouchers, the arrivals for which coincided with the forced downtime of the health resorts, to a later time. At the expense of funding, which was released due to the suspension of the work of Belarusian sanatorium organizations located abroad, additional vouchers to sanatoriums located on the territory of the Republic of Belarus were purchased and distributed according to the territorial principle.

The measures taken made it possible to maintain the material and technical base and personnel potential of the sanatorium and health complex of the Republic of Belarus. However, in 2020 compared to 2019:

the average occupancy rate of health resorts in order to ensure compliance with temporary guidelines for the prevention of the introduction and spread of coronavirus infection decreased by 26 percentage points and amounted to 58.2 percent;

the total number of persons who were provided with health-improving services decreased by 32 percent and amounted to 549 thousand 300 people. Including foreign citizens - 100 thousand 400 people;

the total revenue from the sale of health-improving services decreased by 32 percent and amounted to 429 million 600 thousand rubles;

revenue from the export of sanatorium and health services decreased by 58 percent and amounted to 90 million 800 thousand rubles;

revenue from the provision of additional paid services not included in the cost of the ticket decreased by 26 percent and amounted to 85 million 500 thousand rubles;

revenue from the export of additional paid services not included in the cost of the ticket decreased by 54 percent and amounted to 16.7 million rubles;

the number of children who, as part of the children's summer health campaign, were provided with free and cheaper vouchers to health, sports and recreation camps, decreased by 56 percent and amounted to 173 thousand people.

For objective reasons that arose due to the coronavirus pandemic and led to restrictions on the occupancy of the sanatorium and health complex of the Republic of Belarus, the performance of health resorts in 2020 is not comparable with those in 2019.

At the same time, over the past years, these figures have been steadily growing. So, in 2019 compared to 2015:

the average occupancy of health resorts increased by 5 percentage points and amounted to 84.2 percent;

the total number of people who were provided with health-improving services increased by 9 percent and amounted to 804 thousand 900 people. Including foreign citizens - by 25 percent and 242 thousand 800 people, respectively;

the total proceeds from the sale of sanatorium and health-improving services increased by 64 percent and amounted to 628 million 400 thousand rubles;

proceeds from the export of sanatorium and health services increased by 79 percent and amounted to 215 million 700 thousand rubles;

revenue from the provision of additional paid services not included in the cost of the ticket increased by two and a half times and amounted to 115 million 900 thousand rubles;

revenue from the export of additional paid services not included in the cost of the ticket doubled and amounted to 36 million 100 thousand rubles;

the number of children who, as part of the children's summer health campaign, were provided with free and cheaper vouchers to health, sports and recreation camps increased by 8 percent and amounted to 392 thousand people.

In general, the system of sanatorium-and-spa treatment and rehabilitation developed evenly in all regions of the republic.

 

Constant systematic work is being carried out to improve the regulatory legal support for the activities of the system of sanatorium treatment and improvement of the population. Legal regulation of relevant issues makes it possible to ensure competitiveness, accessibility, quality and efficiency of services provided by health resorts.

During 2020, the Center developed and approved more than 40 draft regulatory legal acts. In 2021, this work will continue as planned.

In 2020, the system of sanatorium treatment and rehabilitation of the population solved the priority tasks of maintaining and strengthening the material and technical base and human resources, while maintaining the potential and controllability that will ensure its further systematic development after the stabilization of the epidemic situation.

According to the parameters of the forecast for the socio-economic development of Belarus for 2021-2025, it is planned that in 2021-2025 the average annual number of people who have undergone sanatorium treatment and rehabilitation in Belarusian health resorts will annually be about 1 million 300 thousand people, including , with the use of budget financing - about 750 thousand people. The total revenue of health resorts from the provision of services to these persons will increase by at least 1.5 times and amount to about 1 billion rubles, the proceeds from the export of these services will increase by at least 1.6 times and will amount to about 350 million rubles.