HEALTHCARE IN THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC: LESSONS FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, OPTIMIZATION RESULTS, AND DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has focused the attention of governments, international organizations, and the scientific community on the need to rethink the priorities and directions in healthcare development. The explosive increase in morbidity has exposed the problem of an acute shortage of basic healthcare resources, especially in the hospital sector. The importance of having a modern healthcare infrastructure and accessible medical care for the population has increased unprecedentedly, as these services are relevant to all countries and regions, including the Arctic territories. This study contributes to the scientific discourse on the problem of developing human resources and infrastructure for healthcare in the Arctic territories. The aim of the study was to analyze the main trends in healthcare personnel and infrastructure provision in the Russian Arctic over the past two decades and identify directions for further development in this field. The study used research methods such as logical and comparative analysis, as well as content analysis. The findings demonstrate that healthcare in the Russian Arctic is polarized, with personnel and infrastructure resources unevenly distributed and primarily concentrated in administrative centers. To solve the identified problems, it is necessary to design differentiated state policy mechanisms and implement a comprehensive national program for the development of healthcare in the Russian Arctic, improve access to healthcare in remote and sparsely populated zones, and engage business in personnel and infrastructure development. The practical significance of this study lies its potential to inform the development of customized approaches that account for Arctic characteristics in healthcare system modernization and public administration practices for social development in the Russian Arctic. The consequences of the pandemic and emerging global challenges associated with changing geopolitical and geoeconomic conditions and the socio-economic consequences of such changes require further research in this area, including the consideration of paid healthcare issues, the development of industrial medicine, and assessing the resulting impact of healthcare system changes on the health of Arctic populations.

Keywords

• healthcare
• human resources
• infrastructure
• covid-19 pandemic
• optimization
• arctic