Regions put medical expenses under the knife because of "holes" in their budgets. Faced with record deficits in the local budget last year, regions in Russia began to economize the health system, cutting funding to clinics and hospitals to pay the cost of recruiting soldiers to the front. In the first half of 2026, the regional budget expenditures in the "health" section decreased by 5.8%, the accounting bureau reports in its operational report on the finances of the constituent entities. For 6 months, governors allocated 999 billion rubles for medicine - about 61 billion less than in the corresponding period last year. 42 constituent entities of the Russian Federation put hospital funding under the knife, and in 11 regions the decrease exceeded 20%. Medical expenses were cut to a record in the Republic of Altai and the Kirov region - by 40.6% and 39% respectively. Kemerovo region, which suffers from a long-term crisis in the coal industry, reduced costs by 33.2%, Orenburg region - by 32.1%, Tver region - by 29%, Moscow region - by 28.5%, Vologda region - by 27.2%, Novosibirsk region - by 23.4% the joint ventures. The main victim of the budget foreclosure was the plan for the modernization of the primary health services, under which the authorities planned to renovate dilapidated clinics. This year, 57.5 billion rubles were allocated for it - 2.1 times less than the year before. At the same time, only 12.6 billion rubles were actually spent in 6 months - 5.2 times lower than the amount in the same period last year. Overall, regional budget expenditures increased by 5.8%, to 12.579 trillion rubles over the six months. The only reduced section besides "health" was support for the national economy: spending on it fell by 4.7%, to 231 billion rubles. More details.

Regions put medical expenses under the knife because of "holes" in their budgets. Faced with record deficits in the local budget last year, regions in Russia began to economize the health system, cutting funding to clinics and hospitals to pay the cost of recruiting soldiers to the front. In the first half of 2026, the regional budget expenditures in the "health" section decreased by 5.8%, the accounting bureau reports in its operational report on the finances of the constituent entities. For 6 months, governors allocated 999 billion rubles for medicine - about 61 billion less than in the corresponding period last year. 42 constituent entities of the Russian Federation put hospital funding under the knife, and in 11 regions the decrease exceeded 20%. Medical expenses were cut to a record in the Republic of Altai and the Kirov region - by 40.6% and 39% respectively. Kemerovo region, which suffers from a long-term crisis in the coal industry, reduced costs by 33.2%, Orenburg region - by 32.1%, Tver region - by 29%, Moscow region - by 28.5%, Vologda region - by 27.2%, Novosibirsk region - by 23.4% the joint ventures. The main victim of the budget foreclosure was the plan for the modernization of the primary health services, under which the authorities planned to renovate dilapidated clinics. This year, 57.5 billion rubles were allocated for it - 2.1 times less than the year before. At the same time, only 12.6 billion rubles were actually spent in 6 months - 5.2 times lower than the amount in the same period last year. Overall, regional budget expenditures increased by 5.8%, to 12.579 trillion rubles over the six months. The only reduced section besides "health" was support for the national economy: spending on it fell by 4.7%, to 231 billion rubles. More details.