OREANDA-NEWS. July 14, 2011. Oleg Atkov, Vice-President of Russian Railways, took part in a Franco-Russian Health Forum held in Moscow and attended by Russia’s Minister of Health and Social Development Tatyana Golikova, France’s Minister of Health Nora Berra and representatives from the Russian and French public and private health sectors, reported the press-centre of Russian Railways.

The Forum’s participants discussed the implementation of public health policies and specific aspects of medical care in Russia and France, as well as Franco-Russian scientific collaboration on health care.

In addressing the Forum, Oleg Atkov, Vice-President of Russian Railways and a qualified doctor, spoke about railway medicine. Russian Railways operates the biggest non-state health system in Russia, with 235 Company health care facilities in 75 Russian regions, making it not only the largest network of private medical facilities in Russia in terms of geographical coverage, but also in terms of capacity and personnel.

Russian Railways’ health services employs more than 70,000 people, including 13,000 doctors, of whom over 800 have research degrees. Each year, the Company’s medical service treats more than 30 million visitors.

The Company’s health service makes widespread use of modern information technologies, including telemedicine. 24 of the Company’s health facilities have a license to provide high-tech medical care and in 2010 treated more than 28,000 people.

According to Atkov, railway medicine is one of the essential elements in ensuring train safety – for instance, the Company also operates a large-scale system of psychological support and automated medical check-ups before journeys.

In addition, specialist outpatient care in 21 Russian regions is provided by five mobile clinical and diagnostic centres mounted on special trains, with each train treating more than 20,000 patients a year.