The labor shortage in the Belarusian healthcare system will be tackled by 2013, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Alexander Kosinets said when speaking at a joint session of the two houses of the Belarusian Parliament on November 28. According to him, the shortage of physicians is 4.260. In 2007, 1 thousand 615 specialists graduated from Belarusian medical universities. In the near future, the Belarusian medical schools are expected to boost the number of student places. In 2008, about 2 thousand 100 students will be admitted to the budget-funded departments of medical universities and more than a thousand – to fee-accepting departments. On the instructions of the Government, the Belarusian medical universities restored the system of internship to train single-functioned specialists – neurologists, ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctors, surgeons, obstetrician-gynecologists, ophthalmologists and others. According to Alexander Kosinets, this year the Health Ministry has started to develop a special program aimed at easing the workload for physicians. The Vice Premier informed that the Belarusian healthcare establishments strengthen their material and technical bases. The renovation of surgical and resuscitation facilities of central regional hospitals will be completed in 2008. The programme dealing with the reconstruction of maternity houses for 2006-2007 has been implemented. A program has been developed on piecemeal implementation of high technologies into medical sphere for 2007-2010.