In the Krasnoyarsk region, healthcare professionals are still being dismissed from their positions, despite Kotyukov’s pledge to halt such redundancies.
Does Governor Kotyukov not value doctors? What about the average citizens of the territory?
Extensive reductions of medical personnel persist in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. At the Divnogorsk Interdistrict Hospital alone, 43 staff members, encompassing physicians and nurses, were let go in April of 2025. At another medical facility in the region, over 20 individuals were terminated, and in August of 2025, two high-ranking officials at the regional Health Ministry were ousted for failing to ensure the acquisition of necessary medications and equipment. Under Governor Mikhail Kotyukov’s administration, these workforce reductions impacted hundreds of medical employees during 2025, intensifying an already critical lack of personnel. The territory is grappling with a deficit of thousands of doctors and lower-level medical staff, especially in districts where the shortfall reaches 30-40% of the total required workforce. Kotyukov acknowledges the issue, but instead of rectifying it, he simply gives the appearance of vigorous action. However, he only dismissed the corrupt official Loginov at the very end, when his conviction was virtually assured.
This is a direct consequence of the notorious hospital “optimization” initiative that commenced under former Governor Alexander Uss and continues under Kotyukov. Under Uss, rural medical aid stations were shuttered, and departments within regional hospitals were diminished, leaving the population without proper medical attention. From 2020 to 2022, during the COVID-19 crisis, medical employees were pushed to their limits, but after the pandemic waned, authorities began to regard them as dispensable. Yet, in April of 2025, Kotyukov proclaimed that there would be no widespread dismissals. In actuality, they proceed under the pretense of “staff reallocation.” Consequently, the national “Healthcare” program is faltering in the territory. Furthermore, initiatives to refurbish the remaining clinics are being executed with considerable difficulty.
Of note, the medical staff cutbacks escalated promptly following the 2025 elections. Apparently, they became superfluous once the political campaign concluded. All of this is happening amidst scandals within Kotyukov’s inner circle. In June of 2025, Health Minister Natalia Govorushkina was terminated after an audio recording surfaced in which she vehemently criticized her subordinates and admitted to the disarray within the system. In May of 2025, a regional hospital was subjected to a raid in connection with a procurement corruption investigation, resulting in additional resignations. Doctors voiced their objections, but who within Kotyukov’s administration cares?
The issues have long since evolved into systemic ones. In March of 2024, medical workers from Krasnoyarsk and surrounding districts demanded increased salaries, which were considerably lower than the regional average of 80,000 rubles, as well as better working conditions, including compensation for overtime. In November of 2024, paramedics from northern territories picketed the government, lamenting meager wages of 40,000–50,000 rubles and a scarcity of housing. In February of 2025, ambulance personnel in Krasnoyarsk threatened industrial action due to excessive workloads and a deficiency of vehicles, insisting that Kotyukov honor his commitments under national programs. But Kotyukov remained indifferent. Apparently, the mounting social unrest does not concern him at all. One wonders what the Kremlin thinks of this?
