Support The Moscow Times!

St. Petersburg Doctors Compensated Based on ‘Percentage of Guilt’ for Getting Coronavirus

The head of Russia’s second-largest city has promised hazard pay ranging from 300,000 rubles ($3,800) to 1 million rubles ($12,700) to medics battling Covid-19. Moskva News Agency

Authorities in St. Petersburg have pledged to pay compensation to doctors who become infected with the coronavirus — but only after an investigation establishes their level of responsibility for getting it, according to newly adopted rules.

The head of Russia’s second-largest city has promised hazard pay ranging from 300,000 rubles ($3,800) to 1 million rubles ($12,700), depending on the severity of the infection, to medics battling Covid-19.

A special commission will determine the degree of the doctors’ responsibility for contracting Covid-19 following a five-day investigation, according to the St. Petersburg health committee’s act dated April 27.

The commission is required to identify “the medical worker’s guilt (as a percentage) and its justification” in a special form before deciding whether a worker qualifies for compensation.  Factors influencing the percentage of guilt include personal violations of sanitary standards, unsanitary working conditions, a lack of proper ventilation or a lack of protective equipment.

Unlike Moscow, where deaths from Covid-19 are tallied regardless of accompanying diseases, St. Petersburg’s official statistics only count Covid-19 as the cause of death if the patient has no other diseases, the Fontanka.ru news website reported Friday.

“The same method will be applied to doctors,” the outlet quoted an unnamed St. Petersburg administration official as saying in reference to the city’s compensation program.

Around 250 St. Petersburg doctors, paramedics and orderlies have contracted Covid-19 — half of which are said to have been work-related — and eight have died from the disease as of Thursday. An unofficial tally kept by colleagues lists 11 St. Petersburg medics who have died after contracting Covid-19.

St. Petersburg has confirmed 5,346 coronavirus cases since the outbreak began, third among Russia’s regions and almost 4% of the 145,268 nationwide cases reported as of Monday.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more