Russian Health Ministry puts $66,000 price tag on life

Proposed health legislation on a mandatory liability insurance program would see healthcare providers in Russia pay out $66,000 for deaths caused by negligence, a business daily said on Friday.

Deputy Health Minister Yury Voronin told Vedomosti that people left disabled by medical errors would receive from $16,670 in compensation.

He also said the decision on payments would be made by an independent commission headed by the regional healthcare official, meaning the burden of proving their right to compensation would no longer be left squarely on the shoulders of victims of negligence.

Experts say at least 50,000 people die annually in Russia due to medical errors. However, Voronin said these figures were wildly exaggerated.

The legislation will act as a wake-up call for healthcare providers, Vedomosti quoted the All-Russian Insurance Association's president, Andrei Kigim as saying.

"This is the first step on the way to boosting the quality of services," Voronin said.

He also noted that the current healthcare system meant it was unrealistic to introduce a personal insurance scheme for individual doctors.

http://en.rian.ru