Planning your elective-Belarus
BMJ 2002; 324 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.0206195 (Published 01 June 2002) Cite this as: BMJ 2002;324:0206195
- Mark Wilson, author of The Medic's Guide to Work and Electives around the World1
- 1University College Hospital, London
Belarus can hardly be described as a popular elective destination. In the last couple of years, however, a number of medical students have ventured to this relatively undiscovered country.
Farmers load a cart with sugar beet in rural Ukraine
Situated in eastern Europe, Belarus is a landlocked by Latvia, Poland, Russia, and the Ukraine. Agriculture has become the main resource over the last decade, after the split from Moscow in 1991. The climate in the summer has a pleasant Mediterranean feel; in the winter, however, it can get very cold (−20°C is common; −30°C is severe).
Key facts
Population—10.1 million
Language—Belarussian (and Russian in the cities)
Capital—Minsk
Currency—Belorussian rouble
International code—+375
The healthcare system
The healthcare system used to be relatively good, but the Chernobyl disaster—in neighbouring Ukraine, in 1986—changed this. Cancer and leukaemia rates increased dramatically. Health care is still free at the point of delivery, but resources are severely …
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