Unhealthy situation: there is a significant shortage of doctors in Russia
The Russian healthcare system is experiencing a serious personnel shortage. Despite the fact that since the beginning of 2026, the number of resumes posted by medical professionals has increased by 21%, most applicants have already been employed and are only considering offers with higher salaries and better working conditions. According to the Ministry of Health, the country lacks about 23 thousand doctors and 63 thousand specialists of secondary medical staff. Why the personnel shortage persists and how they are trying to overcome it is in the Izvestia article.
Which doctors are missing in Russia
In Russia, the number of open vacancies in the medical industry decreased by 14% in 2026, and resumes increased by 21%. Such data was provided to Izvestia by analysts from Ingosstrakh, the Be Healthy clinic network and the SuperJob portal based on the results of a joint study.
However, the majority of medical applicants are employed specialists who, without quitting their old jobs, monitor the market in search of better conditions and salaries.
"There is a significant shortage of health workers, despite the influx of new staff," said Marina Popova, Deputy General Director for Organizational Development and Personnel Management at the clinic network. — Therapists, neurologists, surgeons and ultrasound diagnostics doctors are currently the busiest. Many people work part-time in two or three companies. And in medicine, there is a very high percentage of emotional burnout.
The demand for both doctors and mid-level medical specialists remains particularly high, said Anastasia Skurikhina, Director of Ingosstrakh's Health Insurance department. Among the most sought—after specialists are dental therapists, procedural nurses and dental assistants.
"The shortage of personnel in the industry is a reality," she said. — There is a particularly acute shortage of specialists with higher and secondary medical education. In these circumstances, we are betting on the development of digital assistants, including those based on AI, which will help relieve the burden on employees with medical education and improve customer service."
By this summer, the largest number of vacancies in the medical field had been published in Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Sverdlovsk Region, the Krasnodar Territory and Tatarstan.
Earlier, Izvestia reported that Russia lacks 50% of rheumatologists - a significant shortage has persisted for the past five years. Alexander Lila, the chief freelance specialist at the Ministry of Health, noted that Kamchatka has only one rheumatologist in the entire region. Sometimes patients have to travel more than three hundred kilometers to see their doctor.
Internists, neurologists, procedural nurses, surgeons, and ultrasound diagnostics doctors are currently the busiest. As the study shows, doctors are leaders in recycling. Their overtime at their main job takes up almost 40% of the normal working time per month. In addition, 39% of nurses and 38% of doctors work in several clinics at once.
In April 2026, a doctor at a hospital in the Leningrad Region complained on social media that the medical staff in all departments had been decreasing over the past ten years.
"There is only one therapist and one neurologist left, who must supervise 30 patients every day," he said. - There is no cardiologist, endocrinologist and oncologist in the hospital and polyclinic, only three surgeons and one elderly radiologist work."
Young specialists also complain about constant overwork. Daniil, a therapist from Karelia, said that he regularly stays late after the end of the working day.
"I often leave work two hours later, have dinner and go straight to bed," he complained. — It's physically difficult. But it's better to come home tired than with a guilty conscience that I did everything formally."
Why are there few specialists
According to the estimates of the Ministry of Health, in 2025 there were about 23 thousand doctors and more than 63 thousand specialists of average medical staff in Russia. The editorial board asked the agency for data on how much the deficit is estimated now and what measures are being taken to improve the situation.
The shortage of specialists remains serious, said Elena Borzova, Deputy Director General for Personnel Policy at the SM-Clinic holding.
"In Moscow, there are more than 15 open vacancies per doctor's resume, and the demand for average medical staff is even more pronounced," she told Izvestia. — We do not have enough ENT doctors, internists and ultrasound diagnostics doctors.
At the same time, the network of medical centers "Mother and Child" stated that they do not have a significant shortage of personnel.
"The company has training and training programs, including for the personnel reserve of the management team," they noted.
The shortage of doctors and nurses is most pronounced in remote northern regions, as well as in small towns and villages, says Olesya Bormotova, HR director of the Newstaff multiservice company.
"The deficit is being closed not by new people, but by overworking, part—time work and expanding the area of responsibility of existing employees," the expert noted. — When a doctor works for more than one rate, an appointment is formally conducted, but its quality is already questionable. This is reflected in the timing of recording and the speed of diagnosis.
Many people do not go to work in medicine because of the high workload and responsibility, which are often not commensurate with income and working conditions. Another reason for the personnel shortage is the burnout and fatigue experienced by experienced professionals that have accumulated during the pandemic.
— Now it is no longer enough for a medical institution to simply place a vacancy — a strong specialist compares not only the salary, but also the schedule, equipment, workload, management attitude and the possibility of professional growth, — said Olesya Bormotova. — If this is not the case, the person either goes to private clinics, or takes several bets, but burns out.
How employers compete for staff
According to analysts, in Moscow, the income of doctors and nurses in private clinics increased by an average of 10% over the year.
According to experts, employers are trying to solve the personnel problem primarily by increasing wages. Thus, according to them, the incomes of internists and obstetricians-gynecologists increased by about 13%, and of orderlies — by 15%.
At the same time, the "salary appetites" of junior medical staff remain very modest, according to Alexander Shatilov, deputy scientific director of the Financial University under the Government of Russia.
— Nurses are ready to receive an average of 120 thousand rubles per month, while drivers — more than 200 thousand, and locksmiths and welders are focused on even higher salaries, — he said.
Salaries in medicine are growing, but this does not always compensate for the level of workload and responsibility, says Olesya Bormotova.
"The average figure doesn't explain much: a doctor in a large private clinic and a nurse in a district hospital are in completely different conditions," she admitted. — If a decent amount is obtained through overwork and night shifts, this is not retention, but delayed turnover. A specialist can formally receive more, but pay for it with his health.
There are also positive trends in the medical industry. The attention of the state and employers to the personnel problem is growing now: targeted recruitment is increasing, support programs are developing in the regions, and some clinics are reviewing salary offers and social packages, the expert noted.
"Working with young specialists is especially important," she stressed. — If a graduate is simply "fixed" in place, but not given an experienced mentor, a clear schedule and an adequate environment, he will complete the required period and leave. Retention does not begin with an order, but with whether a person feels a professional perspective and respect for their work.
To reduce the burden on employees and improve customer service, many clinics are implementing AI-based digital assistants.
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