Helpers and Middlemen

People with power and money will always find the best center for their health diagnostics, and for the rest of Russians remains trust in god and hope

In recent years, domestic manufacturers of radiopharmaceuticals, medical radioisotopes, nuclear medicine technology developers have received significant help only from the International Science and Technology Center, amounting to about $ 16 million (figures from N.V. Savinova).
In this case, there was virtually no budget funding for nuclear medicine for public health. Nevertheless it was deemed necessary to sign a presidential decree to terminate ISTC’s activities in Russia. 

It should be said there is another "novelty" that significantly complicated lives of radiopharmaceuticals’ producers in 2010. Rosatom State Corporation issued the Order № 646 on September 17, 2009, according to which all isotope products of daughter enterprises of the State Corporation, including the Radium Institute, have to be sent to OAO "V/O “Isotop"(Moscow). The radiopharmaceuticals based on the short-lived isotopes have to pass additionally through a mandatory mediator before they reach the end users. Obviously, this is not a free service from "Isotop". 

The Public Health Committee of St. Petersburg Administration ended up in a difficult position. The competition for supply of radiopharmaceuticals to St. Petersburg clinics was won not by their local producer (Radium Institute), but by the mediator in Moscow (OAO “V/O “Isotop”). Moreover it turned out that OAO “V/O “Isotop” didn’t have the necessary delivery permits at the moment and received them only in May 2010.

A question to Mr. S.V. Kiriyenko, the Head of the State Corporation "Rosatom": Is there really no way to conduct direct deliveries of nuclear medicine in St. Petersburg? Can’t we really manage without the middleman from the Moscow company? Who should pay the inflation coming from artificial intermediation? To the Public Health Committee of St. Petersburg: should this monry come from the city budget? And how many patients won’t be able to receive medical treatment because of such an intermediation? 

If the RF Government intends to reduce the VAT from 18% to 10% for the manufacturers of these products, then why is JSC "V/O "Isotop " trying to earn extra money on medical items from the city's budget intended for retirees and sick citizens of St. Petersburg?

We were told this awful story about the introduction of clearly artificial intermediation between the licensed and certified manufacturer and consumers, but as it turned out, the mediator has violated the supply chain so much that the Public Health Committee of St. Petersburg can not pay the Radium Institute for the delivery of its products since the beginning of the year and the missing revenues add up to more than 13 million rubles! As a result, production of radiopharmaceuticals at the Radium Institute is on the edge of a complete stoppage.

The English version of the article is a free translation from the original Russian and some discrepancies might be found.