On June 30, the head of the ICCI “Our House” Olga Karach and the head of the public association “Dapamoga” Natalia Kolegova sent a letter to the deputies of the Lithuanian Seimas with a request to ease the situation for Belarusian refugees, including for the relocation of Belarusian doctors to Lithuania. On July 14, it became known that the Lithuanian Seimas has dealt with the problems mentioned in the letter.

A member of the Seimas Commission on health issues, Jurgita Sejonienė, replied that she had responded to the appeal. The government got instructions on developing a plan to simplify the relocation of Belarusian doctors to Lithuania. The Deputy Minister of Health is dealing with the issue. This issue is being dealt with today by the Deputy Minister of Health Care, Aušra Bilotienė.

In the letter, Olga Karach and Natalia Kolegova mentioned the main problems of Belarusian medical workers escaping from repression and persecution of the illegitimate Belarusian authorities in Lithuania. Here they face the problem of being unable to work in their speciality, although Poland and the Czech Republic have already successfully employed Belarusian doctors. As a result, doctors from Lithuania have to move to other countries, although they could help Lithuania in the fight against coronavirus and the lack of local doctors.

Olga Karach stressed that the Belarusian diaspora in Lithuania would like doctors who ask for protection here, to be able to work in the country.

Olga Karach and Natalia Kolegova, in their address to the Seimas, suggested several ways to simplify the life of Belarusian doctors in Lithuania. In particular, they expressed the idea of simplifying the procedure for checking a medical degree issued in the Republic of Belarus. The ideal option is to verify a medical diploma, provided that there is work experience in the speciality in Belarus. The Lithuanian government got a proposal to create conditions for an instant start of work as a medical specialist in Lithuania.

Olga Karach and Natalia Kolegova proposed to develop programs for the relocation of medical workers from Belarus to Lithuania with payment for the first months of residence in Lithuania within the framework of grant support programs. It would be successful in the conditions of a shortage of medical workers in some regions of Lithuania. This function could be assumed by the Ministry of Health of Lithuania and public organizations of the Belarusian diaspora in Lithuania. Finally, Olga Karach and Natalia Kolegova offered to organize free express Lithuanian language courses for Belarusian doctors with a bias in medical terminology and simplified exams.

We thank Lithuania for the continued support of the Belarusian people. Repressed doctors are highly qualified specialists who will bring benefits to Lithuania. Therefore, we believe that the Lithuanian government will accept our professionals and help them start working in local clinics.

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