OREANDA-NEWS. On 26 February 2009 was announced, that the Vologda Oblast Government coordinates the implementation of the priority national projects on the territory of the Vologda region. The National Priority Projects of the Russian Federation is a program of the Russian government set out by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The program is aimed to develop social welfare in Russia by additional funding by the state of four selected projects focusing on public health, education, housing and agriculture.

On the territory of the Vologda Oblast the program is supervised by a special Council attached to the Governor's office. The Council and workgroups discuss the conceptual base of the projects, their objectives, and define forms of implementation and terms. The local government concluded agreements with the RF Ministries involved in implementation of the above mentioned projects. The implementation of the program is promoted by mass media.

At the moment there are four PNPs being developed:

Quality Education

Affordable and Comfortable Housing

Efficient Agriculture

Modern Healthcare

Implementation of priority projects in 2006-2008

Modern Healthcare

The number of physicians grew from 64% in 2005 to 86% in 2008, the number of paramedics and nurses from 75% to 91% correspondingly.

The emergency medical car-fleet was upgraded, with 91 emergency vehicles shipped to the Vologda Oblast.

All in all 5139 residents of the Vologda Oblast got inpatient treatment at the hospitals of federal significance over the last 3 years, 2036 people went away for treatment in 2008, 733 children among them.

Wages of doctors increased by 3x, wages of nurses and paramedical personnel - by 2.8x from 2005 level.

A major technical upgrade of the healthcare network across the region was carried out - 260 facilities for most modern diagnostic procedures and equipment were shipped to the oblast.

Approx. RUR 358,1 mln were allocated for healthcare of pregnant women, childbirth and regular medical check-up of newborn infants (RUR 144,5 mln were alloted in 2008).

A vaccination campaign implemented across the Vologda Oblast drove down disease rates of German measles by 10x as compared with the figure in 2007, of viral hepatitis "B" by 42% from 2005 level.


Quality Education

Approx. 7,300 teachers get additional pay for class work every month.

Annually 86 best teachers of the Vologda Oblast receive a grant in the amount of RUR 100,000.

25 schools of the region that take part in innovative educational programmes were selected on a competitive basis to compete for a one million RUR grant.

Over the last years 608 schools were provided with internet assess. It gave an opportunity to use all the educational materials that the central portal accumulates.

The oblast's schools got 69 buses, 166 complexes of class equipment and 34 software complexes based on interactive board.

Within the last 3 years support for talented children helped to provide grants for 172 students, including 65 young people that received grants in 2008.


Efficient Agriculture

The main objective of the project for Efficient Agricultural development is to support the agricultural sector's transformation into a more economically sustainable business, as well as to retain people in the sector.

Over the last 3 years agricultural enterprises were granted credit for technical equipment to farmers, and to facilitate a technical upgrade of the sector ensuring better output and to purchase bloodstock for a total of RUR 8,9 bn (in 2008 loans amounted to RUR 4,2 mln).

Agricultural co-operatives were rendered financial and legal consulting services in order to help them deploy the money received as loans.

33 agricultural co-operatives were set up in the region.


Affordable and Comfortable Housing

Mortgage loans - the Government encourages and supports the development of this sector in order to make lower interest rates and initial down payments possible.

570 certificates to the sum of RUR 578,7 mln were given to military personnel transferred to the reserve, involuntary migrants, citizens who suffered from radiation to improve their accommodation conditions.

In 2006-2008 449 young families received certificates allowing them to get subsidies for housing purchase (178 young families got certificates in 2008).

Under the regional program "Provision of housing for young people in 2005-2010" 134 young families received subsidies to pay initial installment and 237 families - to repay part of a credit when giving birth to a child.

In 2006-2008 RUR 75 mln were allocated from the federal budget to improve community facilities and infrastructure.

Individual housing - families are encouraged to build their own houses outside urban areas.