Medical and social aspects of the activities of local self-government and the medical community of Yekaterinodar in the late XIX – early XX century

Abstract

The purpose of the study: to study the medical and social aspects of the activities of public institutions of the city of Yekaterinodar in the early twentieth century, as a reflection of global trends shaping the public health system. Materials and methods: historical-descriptive, comparative-historical, problem-chronological, biographical methods were used in the work. The article is based on published sources and archival materials available to the authors. Results.   Currently, there is no doubt that the level of public health depends not only on the activities of medical institutions, the qualifications of doctors, medical staff, but also on the timely comprehensive solution of many social issues with the participation of public and state institutions. The article presents some examples of the formation of such interaction and original solutions to urgent medical and social problems in Yekaterinodar (now Krasnodar) at the end of the XIX  –   beginning of the XX century. The issues of financing medical institutions, medical salaries and pensions, the organization of measures to combat epidemics, the formation of sanitary services, the opening of new specialized hospital departments, and services for the poorest segments of the population were touched upon. The elements of educational work, ways to solve the problem of high infant mortality and the organization of the first Consultation for infants are shown. Many doctors actively participated in the work of local city government, being “public” of the City Duma and the City Council, thereby contributing to the solution of many social and medical issues, including problems of payment for treatment, different categories of the population and “hospital arrears”. Conclusion .   Thus, without having a clear state concept and program for the development of healthcare, the city administration, together with the medical community, demonstrated the desire and possibility of jointly solving many medical and social problems of the city of Yekaterinodar. That is, during this period, the potential properties and understanding of the need for the development of the public health system and sphere were formed in the regional society.