Slippery Slope for Young and Old
Corruption in Russia’s Health System
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Corruption in Russia is widespread. The corrupt practices in the health system affect older people especially, because they need medical assistance more frequently than younger people. For financial reasons, they are often not in a situation to “grease palms.” They are then forced to do without medical services. Corruption destroys the professional ethos of doctors. Criminal practices such as unjustifiable operations after arbitrary diagnoses recall the unjustifiable launching of criminal proceedings by the police and justice officials, proceedings that can be suspended by bribe.
(Osteuropa 5/2010, pp. 223–232)