VTB introduced a free program to support expectant mothers and children

High-quality medicine will become more accessible to pregnant women

In February, in a message to the Federal Assembly, the Russian President announced the launch of the “Family” national project. The Russian leader called on the authorities to work to improve the quality of life of families with children. The new program was launched as part of the Year of the Family in partnership with major financial and medical players: VTB, Mother and Child medical centers and the Doctis medical technology holding; it includes free online consultations with doctors, remote monitoring of the condition of expectant mothers, child insurance and others opportunities, the bank’s press service reported.

Large families should become the norm

Despite the stable annual decline in the number of Russians living below the poverty line, Vladimir Putin called low incomes one of the most pressing problems in the country. They are especially common in large families. And if in the country as a whole today there are about 9% of citizens who face financial difficulties, then among large families this figure reaches 30%.

In addition, during his address to the Federal Assembly, the Russian President noted that the difficult demographic situation still remains. “Young people are postponing birth until later. This is not only economics, but also life guidelines. The work of all levels of government is important. A large family with many children should become the norm, the guideline of the entire state strategy,” Putin emphasized.

In March 2024, a program to support expectant mothers and children will start in the Astrakhan and Vladimir regions, the Republics of Altai, Bashkortostan and Sakha; a hospital in Moscow and a clinic in Yaroslavl also participate in the pilot. Based on the results of the pilot, in the fall of 2024, a decision will be made to scale the project to other regions and expand the list of medical institutions where pregnant women can connect to the program.

“The Bank, together with its partners, is launching a project to support pregnant women and children. It will provide them with the necessary highly qualified medical care even in remote regions of the country, will increase the availability of quality medicine and, as a result, will contribute to the growth of the birth rate in the country,” the press service said in a statement.

The project will also reduce the rate of forced abortions and the risk of child mortality. Rostelecom, the Tsifromed group, and the Pulse company also became partners of the program.

“Thanks to the digitalization of medical care, in the coming years it will be possible to increase the survival rate of children and reduce the risk of morbidity in newborns,” concluded Mark Kurtser, CEO of the Mother and Child Group of Companies.

Family banking as a strategic trend

Russian banks are one of the drivers of the state’s social policy. For VTB, targeted assistance to families has become a priority – since last year they have been implementing the concept of a family bank, within the framework of which they are systematically developing tools for comprehensive support for families.

For example, a free insurance program for all children in case of critical illness, commission-free payment for housing and communal services, kindergartens and schools, a number of social services: “Social Calculator” for calculating federal payments due to a family, digital processing of tax deductions. The new program will provide additional care for women and children. You can join the project in online banking.

“In the next three years, more than half a million Russian women will potentially be able to benefit from the program – this is a significant contribution to improving the demography in our country and the health of future generations of Russians. For us, this is an important social initiative, which we are implementing as part of our new concept of the “Family Bank,” said Georgy Gorshkov, Deputy President and Chairman of the Board of the Bank.