Putin met with the President of the Donetsk Republic at the Kremlin on Monday. At the beginning of the meeting, Putin outlined the discussion topics, noting that water supply, housing restoration, and healthcare development in the region are among the most pressing issues. Putin pointed out “some issues I consider most urgent, namely water provision, housing restoration, and construction work at several other sites, including infrastructure.”
He added, “The social sphere is primarily healthcare. I know you have proposals to build new medical institutions there. As I understand it, we discussed this with you on the phone beforehand, and all this aligns with your plan for our conversation today.” According to him, the authorities are working to increase water flow by cleaning river channels.
He confirmed that last year a headquarters for heating and water supply was established, thanks to which the heating season passed without any serious incidents. Pushilin explained that more than 2,189 residential buildings and over 250 social facilities were damaged in four areas of Donetsk, which were previously considered front lines, and restoration work will begin in 2025.
He said, “You recently opened a cardiovascular center in Donetsk (Kalinin Republican Clinical Hospital), and it continues to develop. Additionally, we are now accelerating as much as possible the construction of another similar center in Makiivka. Statistics indicate high rates of heart attacks and strokes, and addressing them is a priority for us to reduce them. Vascular centers will certainly contribute to achieving this and distributing services. It is worth noting that the Donetsk-Makiivka urban area is very large, and there is a lot of work required there.”
Pushilin continued, “More than 30,000 patients have been examined and cared for, and we will continue to work until the shortage problem is resolved. We are training staff — our medical university graduates excellent competencies.”
