The opening of the Medical Faculty of Kazan State University on May 14, 1814 was an important event in the history of medicine of the Republic of Tatarstan. It was later reorganized into Kazan Medical Institute (now Kazan State Medical University). The scientific medical schools established in Kazan and their work have made our medicine famous worldwide. Histologist Karl Arnshtein, physiologist Nikolai Mislavsky, oculist Emilian Adamyuk, psychoneurologist Vladimir Bekhterev, surgeon Alexander Vishnevski and many others gained world recognition.

Among the most important discoveries made by Kazan’s physicians are: the process of oxidative phosphorylation (V. Engelgardt, 1930); an experimental proof of presence of mediators in inter-neural transmission (A. Kibyakov, 1933); the phenomenon of the Sclera Sinus blockage (A. Nesterov, 1985). Among the members of the Kazan medical school, there are 27 academics and member correspondents of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.

Newly implemented technologies at the main medical centers such as the Republican Clinical Hospital, the Republican Children’s Clinical Hospital, Interregional Clinic-diagnostic Center, Scientific and Research Center of Traumalogy and orthopedics allowed to implement a number of worldwide known high-tech medical interventions in cardio surgery, blood-vascular surgery, neurosurgery, oncology, oncohematology, transplantology, traumatic surgery and other spheres.

The formation of the new model of the health services classified by kinds of medical care, volume and with the advanced single-channel form of financing is on the verge of completion in the Republic. The new structure of health services leans on general practice, provides selectivity of delivery of health care to the patient at stages of the municipal, intermunicipal, specialised and hi-tech medical centres, allows to spend financial resources more effectively.

In the Republic there are 110 hospitals and 163 polyclinics, and 18 thousand doctors. According to the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation the republic has a highly effective system of public health services and is named the best as far as medical aid is concerned. According to the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation 45, 5 % of the population is satisfied by the quality of medical aid, and it is one of the best indicators in the Russian Federation (average across the Russian Federation being 33 %)which is confirmed by the results of public health services in 2009. The Program of state guarantees has been brought to a successful conclusion, and the basic indicators of the population’s state of health population and activity of the state and municipal medical institutions have positive dynamics.

The birth growth has made 5,0%, the highest level of birth rate for last 20 years with the death rate going down to 2,3 percent. The number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases, traumas, intoxications and casualties, tuberculosis has decreased hitting the lowest point for the last 20 years. The depopulation rate plummeted to the lowest degree, and in the last few months a growth of the population has been documented. The indicator of infantile death rate has remained at the level of 2008 making 6,0 on 1000 quick-born children. As stated by the federal ministry the infant mortality rate in Tatarstan is comparable to those indicators of the developed countries. Expected life expectancy of the people living Tatarstan has somewhat approached the age of 71.

In 2009, the national project "Health" was effectively carried out in all respects; the total financing amount running up to 2,4 bln roubles. The main results are the birth growth, decrease in infant mortality, and the increase in the average life expectancy of the population.

In 2009, much was accomplished with regard to the perfection of medical care so far as car accident on federal line М-7 are concerned. 9 traumatic centers have been set up, in addition to the purchase 228 units of medical equipment and 26 emergency intensive cure unit cars. As the Republic has become part in the federal program of the perfection of medical care distribution to the victims of car accidents on federal line М-5 "Ural", a number of traumatic centers 2 and 3 levels on the basis of the Bugulminskiy and Bavlinskiy central district hospitals.

High-technology medical care (HTMC) is rendered by 9 health service establishments of the Republic on 19 profiles and 106 kinds (81% from the general list of kinds of HTMC). In 2009, within the state order HTMC have received 19 216 patients (as opposed to 14 761 people received in2008 -), that’s including 15 759 patients received at the expense of the state budget of RT , 1 321 people at the expense of the federal budget, with 2 136 patients having been transferred to federal clinics. The wherewithal for financing HTMC is put up at the expense of the budget RT (727 million rubles), and the federal budget (162 million rubles). In 2008-2009 Republic worked on creating of 8 blood-vascular centers, becoming part of the federal blood-vascular program in 2010 and receiving financial support from the federal budget to the tune of 236 million rubles. On January 1, 2010, the 9th blood-vascular centre started to operate in the Republican clinical hospital. The Ministry of Health plans to open the tenth blood-vascular centre in Zelenodolsk this year and in Bugulma and Elabuga in 2011. In the short space of time the blood-vascular centers have been operating, more than 8 thousand patients with acute cerebrovascular accident have received treatment there. The death rate from strokes has decreased by 17 percent. Thanks to the national project "Health", preventive work revives. In Tatarstan additional prophylactic medical examination of 83 thousand citizens is held. 15 million rubles has been allocated to promote a healthy lifestyle. In December, 2009 14 health centers opened in the Republic.

About 7,5 thousand doctors, and 30 doctors took courses in professional retraining, general and thematic improvement according to the Governmental program and were educated and trained in the leading medical centers of Europe. The training programs are implemented both by inviting Russian and foreign luminaries in medicine for the purpose of carrying out master classes and delivering training seminars on the basis of leading medical institutions and the Educational centre.

Now, 23 MPI, including polyclinics, CRH, city hospitals, medical institutions of great value are connected to "Dispatching centre of Ministry of Health of RT". One of the major goals of this project is to create an archive of medical images, to which 69 digital devices from 80 are connected.

Photogallery "Health Care"