After the Georgian aggression in August 2008, the National Bank of South Ossetia established special account to assist the citizens of the Republic affected by the fighting. Chairman of the Supervisory Board under the President of South Ossetia for targeted expenditure of the funds of the special account, State Councilor to the President Rodion Siukaev in an interview with the news agency "Res" has told about how the funds of the special account are used and what category of citizens of the Republic is to have been rendered financial assistance
- What is the balance of the special account, and how much money is allotted each month for aiding?
- The overall balance of the special account is 154 million rubles. The funds of the special account are placed on bank deposits at nine percent interest per annum. Supervisory Board disposes of the monthly income from the interest, the sum of which amounts to 1 million 50 thousand rubles, and determines the amount of material assistance. Monthly 360 thousand rubles are allotted to the citizens of South Ossetia, suffering from chronic renal failure and undergoing hemodialysis in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. All of them are registered in the Ministry of Health of South Ossetia. There is a package of documents confirming that they are sick and regularly, many of them permanently, undergoing hemodialysis in North Ossetia. In addition, we provide the monthly assistance to families who have children suffering from cerebral palsy. Compulsory condition is a permanent residence in the territory of South Ossetia. Such children are provided a monthly assistance of five thousand rubles for each child. There are families, which have two children suffering from cerebral palsy. In total, 24 families with this diagnosis are registered by the Supervisory Board. The balance amount is, first of all, to provide financial assistance to citizens who need treatment outside South Ossetia. A list of these citizens is provided by the RSO Ministry of Health. Without a letter from the Ministry of Health that this citizen was examined in hospitals of South Ossetia and needs additional treatment or examination outside South Ossetia, we do not allot funds.
- What is the volume of financial assistance?
- We provide financial assistance that can be used by a citizen to pay for his treatment in Russia, as well as the purchase of medicines, travel expenses. Basically it is a partial assistance in the amount of 25 to 50 thousand rubles. Without a letter from the Health Ministry stating that the patient was examined in the medical institutions of South Ossetia and needs additional treatment or examination outside of South Ossetia, we do not allocate funds. Most of the costs they bear themselves. There are patients who need emergency treatment. Their treatment we coordinate with the Ministry of Health and try to pay for their treatment jointly. The budget for the Ministry of Health has no funds to pay for the treatment of citizens of South Ossetia in Russian clinics. Ministry of Health submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of South Ossetia, but it failed to budget the funds. Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Policy Alexander Pliev has been regularly raising this question in Parliament and in the Government.
- What are the results of prosecutor's check on the interest-free loans from the funds of the special account?
- There is a scheduled inspection in respect of the return of so-called "interest-free loans." Have been concluded contracts for the refund of the previously issued loans of 25 million rubles. It has already been returned a half million rubles, in the near future will be more revenues. We will notify the media on the new results of this inspection.
- How many citizens have already been furnished a financial assistance this year?
- In 2014, 37 citizens of the Republic were furnished a financial assistance. It was also paid 289,000 rubles to perform an immediate operation on a citizen of the RSO and soon will have to be paid 370,000 rubles for another emergency operation. Both patients were operated in the clinics of Russia in 2013. I `d like to emphasize: the emergency condition of the patient is when there is a threat to his life. It is clear that the interest yield is not enough to solve all medical problems of our patients. Many citizens of South Ossetia have Russian citizenship and insurance policy of the Russian Federation. They have the right to go to the clinic in North Ossetia-Alania, or in another region of the Russian Federation, and then the clinic will send their documents to the relevant medical institution. But often our citizens do not exercise their legal right, but prefer to apply directly to the Ministry of Health of South Ossetia and require referring them to Russian clinics. Our Ministry of Health sends the documents of these citizens (the document confirming the citizenship of the Russian Federation and the insurance policy) to the Ministry of Health of North Ossetia. These citizens are put on a waiting list, and, upon receipt of a quota, they are progressing in the queue. Russian citizens, living in South Ossetia and having dual citizenship have no any advantage to be sent for treatment over the other patients put on the waiting list in the Ministry of Health of the RNO-Alania. That would be a violation of the rights of Russian citizens. All this is done in full compliance with the Federal Law of the Russian Federation of November 21, 2011 № 323 "On the fundamentals of health protection in the Russian Federation." Citizens having only the citizenship of South Ossetia have to pay for medical treatment in the Russian Federation. For today, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of South Ossetia owes the Russian clinics about two million rubles. The Parliament and the Government of the Republic must take all measures to find money for the treatment of this category of our citizens.
