Post-release of the Russian Health Care Week’2009
Russia’s main international forum for health care and social development - the Russian Health Care Week - was successfully held at Expocentre Fairgrounds on 7 - 11 December 2009. This large-scale industry event was organized by Expocentre with the support from the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Russian Ministry of Sports, Tourism and Youth Politics, the Russian Public Chamber, the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. The event ran under the auspices of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Moscow Government.
The Russian Health Care Week incorporated the 19th Zdravookhraneniye International Exhibition, the 16th Apteka International Specialized Exhibition, the 3-rd Healthy Lifestyle Exhibition, the Winter Sun Gallery Optical Exhibition, the 11th Stomatology Annual Scientific Forum, the 4th SportMed International Scientific Conference, the International Medical and Pharmaceutical Forum and other significant events.
With its unique format providing single information and exhibition space, the event opened up dramatically new opportunities for the promotion of innovative products for practical medical application; it drew leading medical equipment and drug manufacturers, health-care and government officials, businessmen and medical professionals from all Russia’s regions.
On the exhibition space of 40,205 sq m the Russian Health Care Week brought together 817 exhibitors from 40 countries, with Hungary, Germany, China, Malaysia, France, Finland and Czechia showcasing their national pavilions.
The 19th International Exhibition for Health Care, Medical Engineering and Pharmaceuticals – Zdravookhraneniye’2009 – became the focal point of the Week. The exhibition is the largest industry event in Russia, Eastern Europe and the CIS countries; and its high international reputation is confirmed by labels of UFI – the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, and of RUEF – the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs.
Foreign companies such as Carl Zeiss AG, Fujinon, Philips, Sony, Siemens, Toshiba, Vernipoll s.r.l., Westfalia and others put on display their new technologies and the latest developments, which are most needed in modern medicine.
Zdravookhraneniye’2009 featured 529 Russian companies and enterprises from across Russia, including Aybolit-2000, Amiko Rentgenprom, Bimc-Cardio-Volga, Vital Diagnostics, Globalmedmarket, Mosrentgen, the Kasimov Instrument Making Plant, Medteh, the Khrunichev Plant, Elektron Research and Production Company and many others.
FUJIFILM - the manufacturer of consumables for radiology, laser imagers and computed radiography systems – acted as the official sponsor of Zdravookhraneniye’2009.
Addressing the exhibitors and visitors at the opening of the Forum, Deputy Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly Svetlana Orlova noted, ‘Staging the exhibition within the framework of the Russian Health Care Week enables resolution of a hugely important issue of applying global innovations to medical practice in Russia. The Forum and the Exhibition have gained a strong reputation in the Russian regions for the highly professional organization. Presently, they both are effective elements of the national priority project.’
According to Vice-President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergei Katyrin, Zdravookhtaneniye’2009 allowed to keep an eye on the future of the Russian health-care system and to find solutions to many topical issues facing the medical industry. The events held during the Russian Health Care Week addressed issues relating to the health-care legislation, as well as lots of other issues important for manufacturers, scholars, designers and general public.
On behalf of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade the delegates of the Russian Health Care Week were welcomed by Sergei Logachyov, Head of the Medical Industry Department under the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade Department of Chemical and Bio-Engineering Technologies. He underlined that the Forum was gaining prominence and demonstrated the competitiveness of the domestic medical industry; while Zdravookhraneniye’2009, incorporated into the Russian Health Care Week, provided an opportunity to analyze the state of the Russian health care system. He also noted that the exhibition activity became an important part of the efforts aimed at developing the domestic health care system.
The 2009 edition of the exhibition saw the broadening of its subject matter with new sections and fields of study. In addition to diagnostic equipment, medical devices, primary care, cutting-edge medical technologies, integrated clinical equipment, furniture, laboratory medicine, modern information technologies for health care, dentistry and more, the exhibition incorporated a new ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ section featuring convalescent facilities and preventive care, aesthetic medicine, health improvement technologies and healthy lifestyle products.
The Healthy Lifestyle section occupied a show floor of 1,332 sq m and welcomed 103 companies from Belgium, UK, Vietnam, Germany, Israel, Italy, China, Mexico, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russia and Taiwan.
Owing to its successful development, the Healthy Lifestyle project was recognized with the label of the RUEF – Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs. This testified to a high quality of the event and the professional expertise of the organizers, proved that the event performance data were audited and reliable, the offered services were diverse and of high quality; promotional opportunities outstanding and participation in the event was extremely effective.
Zdravookhraneniye’2009 hosted the Centre for Professional Education and Career in Medicine, Medical Engineering and Technology, Medical Optics and Optometry.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Health Protection Sergey Kolesnikov pointed out that the Russian Health Care Week provided a unique opportunity to narrow the gap between scientific and practical medicine. He underlined that the Russian Government was concerned about the state of the national health care system and aimed to improve it with the help of specially established agencies and new strategies for the development the medical industry.
President of the Russian Union of the Medical Industry Associations Yury Kalinin said that the Russian Health Care Week’2009 was a platform for meetings and discussions, which were taking place at the conferences, round tables, symposia and other events on the programme. This allowed to join the efforts of researchers, manufacturers and consumers of medical products and services to cope with the tasks set within the health care development strategy.
The programme of business oriented events opened with the round table discussing a draft federal law on circulation of pharmaceuticals. The event was organized by the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Committee on Entrepreneurship in Health Care and Medical Industry, the Committee on Social Policy, and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Commission on Public Health and Medical Industry.
The Russian Government is now facing the necessity to work out a federal policy on supplying people with medicines. The federal law on circulation of pharmaceuticals is intended to form the basis of the policy, and shall be designed in agreement with the existing international legal documents on the subject.
The round table discussed the provisions of the draft law relating to the price and customs policies, issues of drugs manufacturing in Russia, their licensing, quality control and other important topics.
Many leading industry experts, such as Deputy Head of the Committee on Entrepreneurship in Health Care and Medical Industry of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Valery Beregovykh, Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Health Protection Sergei Kolesnikov, President of the Russian Union of the Medical Industry Associations Yury Kalinin, Vice-Chancellor of Moscow State University Yury Belenkov, as well as delegates of professional associations and major Russian pharmaceutical companies took part in the round table, sharing their opinions and putting forward proposals concerning the draft law.
Among the key events of the Russian Health Care Week was the 11th Annual Scientific Forum Somatology’2009 and symposia, incorporated into the Forum, held by the Federal Agency for High Technological Medical Care and the Central Scientific and Research Institute of Dentistry and Oral Surgery. The Forum was attended by Russian and foreign specialists. The main discussion topics featured new approaches to diagnostics and treatment in therapeutic dentistry, modern means for preventing main dental diseases and new information technologies for dentistry.
In 2009 the 1000-Bed Hospital Non-Profit Partnership took part in Zdravookhraneniye exhibition for the third time. The Partnership joins together major hospitals and medical centres from all Russia’s federal districts. In 2009 the 1000-Bed Hospital Association, with the assistance from Expocentre, ran the Hospital Today scientific conference and a round table on the results of the 36th World Hospital Congress. The Association also organized a competition of integrated socially important health care projects.
The Russian Association for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation of Patients and Disabled (RASMIRBI) organized and ran the 4th SportMed International Scientific Conference highlighting the current state of the elite sports medicine and its prospects. The Conference was held with the support from and the participation of the Working Party of the Presidential Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sport, Excellence in Sports, Preparation and Organisation of the 2014 Sochi XXII Winter Olympics and XI Paralympics, and the 2013 Kazan XXVII Summer Universiade, the Russian Ministry of Sports, Tourism and Youth Politics, the RF Ministry of Health and Social Development, the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, the Russian State Medical University, the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sports and Tourism, the International Federation of Sports Medicine, the Federation of Sports Medicine Associations of the CIS countries and the Baltic states.
The plenary session of the conference was attended by Deputy Minister of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation Veronika Skvortsova, Deputy Minister of Sports, Tourism and Youth Politics Gennady Alyoshin, Head of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency Vladimir Uiba, President of the European Association of Sports Medicine Professor Joe Kaminski.
The promotion of exercise and sports to general public and preparation of elite sportsmen are national priorities.
The conference addressed issues relating to the legislative basis for exercise and sports and anti-doping control in elite sports. The conference presented the new clinical technologies enhancing performance of elite sportsmen, as well as methods of prevention and rehabilitation of sports injuries, rehabilitation measures in sports, medicine in the sports for disabled, issues relating to sports psychology and nutrition.
The conference encompassed working sessions of the leadership of the national medical and sports services, the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development Expert Council on Exercise and Sports Medicine Commission, heads of Exercise and Sports Medicine Departments of Medical and Sports Institutes and Universities, a dedicated session of the Sports Massage Association.
Alongside working sessions, master classes on sports massage and tapering in sports, as well as presentations of specialist organizational and methodological literature were held.
SportMed’2009 hosted the 8th International Scientific Conference of Students and Young Scholars ‘the Topical Issues in Sports and Exercise Medicine, Physiotherapy and Spa Medicine’. The conference welcomed authors of the best studies selected by a panel of expert judges.
The SportMed’2009 International Conference was attended by specialists from all federal districts of Russia, scholars, practitioners from sports, medical and rehabilitation institutions, professors of medical and sports institutes and universities, medical and exercise therapy clinics, centres of exercise and sports medicine, health centres, medical rehabilitation hospitals, teachers, trainers of the national teams and leading sports clubs, delegates from various pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers of medical devices and sports equipment.
The conference delegates explored the latest Russian and global innovations in the medical device and the pharmaceutical industries.
Zdravookhraneniye’2009 featured the workshop addressing the government contracts in health care sector, held by Expocentre and the Institute of Effective Technologies.
The workshop discussed existing tendering practices, the federal legislation on the subject, preparation of bids and requirements to them. The seminar provided insight into the subtleties of tender auctions, competitions and other tender procedures.
The Russian Week of Health Care hosted the International Medical and Pharmaceutical Forum, organized by Euroexpo and RPI Conferences. The Forum, in its turn, presented the Medical and Pharmaceutical Conference highlighting topical issues and trends in the Russian pharmaceutical industry. The event was attended by the delegates from leading manufacturers and distributors of pharmaceuticals, and federal officials. The programme of the Forum offered debates and symposia - with the participation of medical directors and professors - on diverse medical issues, including new treatment methods, and master classes for medical practitioners.
All the events on the programme of the Russian Health Care Week were perfectly organized and conducted.
As usual, Zdravookhraneniye exhibition completed the year and provided the overview of the performance of the sector in 2009. It showcased achievements and prospects of the most important branches – the medical industry and health care – that, along with other strategic sectors, ensure Russia’s security and independence.
The project gained even greater importance with the decision of President Medvedev to make medical technology development, drug development and drug manufacturing one of the five national priority programmes intended to push the Russian economy forward.
The Russian Health Care Week’2009 and the co-located Zdravookhraneniye’2009 exhibition once again proved their reputation of major business-to-business events in Russia, the Baltic states and Eastern Europe, as well as their effectiveness in implementation of the Zdorovye (Health) National Priority Project and the Health Care Development Strategy by 2020. The event was visited by nearly 25,000 people. The total visitor attendance made up 34,840. The visitors were able to assess applicability of the newest achievements, modern technologies, products and equipment to health care practice.
Next Zdravookhraneniye exhibition will take place on 6-10 December 2010 at Expocentre Fairgrounds.
Expocentre Press Service