Chernobyl liquidators of Rostov-on-Don think that money payouts instead of privileges is a government's deceit

Liquidators of the Chernobyl accident implications from Rostov-on-Don think that replacement of privileges for monetary payments is another deception of the government. Yuri Chumakov, chairman of the Coordination Board of district organizations "Soyuz-Chernobyl" of Rostov-on-Don, told about it to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" .

According to Yuri Valentinovich, Law No. 122 FL, enacted from January 1, 2005, replaced the privileges, which were envisaged for the liquidators of the consequences of the Chernobyl Power Plant Accident, for lumpsum payments, which make today one thousand roubles per month. This sum includes the cost of a passage ticket (150 roubles) on urban and suburban (within 50 kilometres) transport; 50 percent of the cost of communal services, which is not available now for the family members of the liquidator; 50 percent of the costs of telephone services; this sum also includes 450 roubles for medicines.

According to Yuri Chumakov, at drugstores, they sell cheapest medicines to liquidators. Even for these medicines, they have to come for several times. The physicians calculated themselves that as of the moment of enactment of the law No. 122 FL, the medicines, required to support the health of a liquidator, cost about 1800-2000 roubles per month.

Over two thousand Chernobyl liquidators are waiting for apartments or subsidies to purchase one. Most of them are inhabitants of hostels or leased housing. As a subsidy, they are offered the sum calculated on the basis of the rate for one square metre of 13,120 roubles. It is not possible to buy housing at this rate in Rostov.

Earlier, Yuri Chumakov believes, the situation with sanitary and resort-house treatment was essentially better. If a liquidator could not get a voucher to a sanatorium, he got a monetary compensation. Now, compensations are cancelled, and the number of vouchers allocated to Chernobyl liquidators cannot cover their needs. The payment for additional nutrition is also scanty: today, it makes 300 roubles per month, in Rostov it is a cost of two lunches. And the requirement for the liquidators to undergo the Doctor's Labour Examination Commission ("VTEK") every year is a mere disgrace, Yuri Chumakov believes. The physicians recognize themselves that it is impossible to cure a Chernobyl liquidator completely, therefore the requirement for these life-long patients to go to the Commission every year is perceived by them as another mockery of the state.