Half of Russian doctors surveyed report a drop in earnings during the pandemic

Half of Russia’s doctors have taken a pay cut during the coronavirus pandemic, reports a new survey conducted by RNC Pharma and the website Medvestnik. 

While 12 percent of respondents reported a sharp decrease in their earnings, including as a result of layoffs or being forced to take time off, another 37 percent said their earnings “decreased noticeably.”

Six percent of those surveyed said that formally, their incomes increased due to government bonuses for working with coronavirus patients, but they also saw their workloads increase disproportionately during the same period. Twenty percent of respondents saw no real change in their earnings — they said that they were paid the bonuses owed to them, but also saw a reduction in other payments.

Only 12 percent of respondents reported earning significantly more during the pandemic. Medvestnik notes that this group included a variety of different specialists, ranging from infectious disease and ER doctors to pediatricians and therapists.

In early April, Russian President Vladimir Putin promised monthly bonus payments to all medical workers involved in treating coronavirus patients, ranging from 25,000 to 80,000 rubles (about $328 to $1,050), depending on their qualifications. Initially, these payments were planned for a three month period, but the program was later extended.

Medical workers in various regions across Russia have complained repeatedly about payment delays and/or not receiving hazard pay at all.