Moscow authorities began purchasing wheelchairs for children from China – Kommersant

The Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Moscow City Hall reported that they began purchasing wheelchairs in China for children with severe diagnoses due to difficulties in purchasing strollers from European suppliers. Previously, parents of several children with disabilities complained that they had not received strollers from the state for a long time.

“In 2022, most European manufacturers of technical rehabilitation equipment decided to leave the Russian market. Currently, the purchase and delivery of the necessary technical rehabilitation equipment is carried out from a supplier from China. These rehabilitation means are an analogue of European-made active wheelchairs,” the department’s press service told Interfax.

As the publication reported “Mercy.ru”, in 2023 in Moscow, out of six children diagnosed with Spina bifida (spina bifida) who needed active strollers, one child received a stroller. According to Spina Bifida Foundation lawyer Elena Moryakina, despite the fact that applications for the provision of strollers were submitted throughout 2023, the Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Moscow City Hall attempted to purchase strollers for children only once. Moreover, the purchase announcement appeared at the end of October, but the strollers had to be delivered before the end of the year. At the same time, according to existing rules, a stroller is manufactured abroad according to the child’s individual measurements within a month and three months are allocated for its delivery. None of the manufacturers undertook to produce strollers in a shortened time frame.

At the same time, the Department of Labor and Social Protection claims that in recent years “we have fully provided for all people’s needs for rehabilitation equipment, including the purchase of individual active strollers for children with disabilities.” However, previously purchases were made from European manufacturers, but now Chinese-made strollers are purchased. The department emphasized that they are in constant contact with parents of children with disabilities on this issue.

Alexander Kislov