State Duma to discuss limiting online learning in medical education

The State Duma will consider this week the possibility of banning exclusively electronic and distance learning in secondary medical and pharmaceutical education. This was announced by the Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin on January 20.

"Doctors, nursing staff need to improve their qualifications in order to apply new technologies and diagnostic methods in treatment. One of the problems that exist in this area and need to be solved is that in most cases this is done by commercial organizations that do not have the necessary infrastructure, certified teachers and clinical base for training," he wrote in his Telegram channel.

These organizations offer to receive diplomas and certificates of retraining practically without leaving home, which negatively affects the quality of medical care, Volodin added.

The deputies also propose to assign the Ministry of Health to develop and approve standard additional professional programs of medical education. In addition, it is a question of obliging educational organizations to obtain the conclusions of Roszdravnadzor or to ensure the transfer of students.

The quality of medical care and people's health directly depend on the level of training in the field of health care, said the speaker of the State Duma. In this regard, he pointed out the importance of measures to ensure that citizens receive treatment from qualified specialists.

In November 2024 "Izvestia" found out that in Russia there are more and more cases of trading in medical certificates of cosmetologists, which do not require practice and examinations. Those who received such a "retraining document" begin to open their own business. As the Ministry of Health emphasized, taking refresher courses does not give the right to carry out medical activities without special education.