Rospotrebnadzor has not received proposals to transfer part of its powers to the Ministry of Health

Rospotrebnadzor has not received any proposals to transfer the authority to combat infections to the Ministry of Health, said the head of the department, Anna Popova. With a proposal to share part of the powers of Rospotrebnadzor with the Ministry of Health, as reported “Vedomosti”the public organization “All-Russian Union of Patients” (VSP) spoke.

“The Russian Federation has its own experience, its own path, very highly appreciated by the international community, so today it would seem very strange to talk about this, to destroy what we are proud of. This is probably not a government approach. Perhaps this is the approach of people who have no knowledge or understanding of what Rospotrebnadzor is today, what we do and how it works,” said Ms. Popova during a press breakfast dedicated to Russian Press Day (quote from “Interfax”).

Answering a clarifying question from journalists whether the department had received such proposals, Anna Popova said: “No one discussed it with us, no one came to us, so I have no other position here.”

On January 9, Vedomosti published excerpts from the resolution prepared by the VSP following the results of the conference “Epidemic Shield of Russia”. The document, in particular, contained a recommendation to the government to consider developing a state program to accelerate efforts to protect the population from infectious threats. According to the VSP, it should be based on a centralized management model, providing for the inclusion of the sanitary and epidemiological service in the structure of the Ministry of Health. Now the sanitary and epidemiological service is part of Rospotrebnadzor, which reports directly to the government.

Milena Kostereva