During its weekly meeting on June 15, Cabinet discussed a set of comprehensive measures for people with disabilities and made some decisions.
According to Minister of Health S.Enkhbold, the government has decided to offer a 100 percent discount for essential medicines used by children with paralysis.
Relevant officials and ministers were instructed to include the required drugs in the list of discounted drugs and to formalize it within this month.
Minister of Health S.Enkhbold and Minister of Foreign Relations B.Battsetseg were also tasked to make reconstructive nerve surgery for paralysis, which is currently not performed in Mongolia, available domestically before September.
The health minister emphasized that the government is studying opportunities to bring doctors from India and Turkey for performing this type of surgery and shared plans to focus on training Mongolian surgeons.
“There are many issues to be addressed, starting from the cost of bringing in an international medical team. In the future, it is advantageous to perform the above-mentioned surgery internally. The import of anti-seizure drugs that are in shortage will not require a special license. One-time licenses are being issued. As a result, individuals will be able to set up companies and supply the much-needed medicines.”
Moreover, the government decided to increase the amount of social insurance premiums and welfare pensions and benefits for one of the parents of every child in need of permanent care. The welfare pension rate was 188,000 MNT and it has been increased to 288,000 MNT over the last two years amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene has instructed ministers to continue to provide this amount of welfare pension through 2023 and reflect the necessary funding in next year’s state budget.
Guardians of children in need of permanent care receive a monthly allowance of 123,000 MNT, and caregivers of adults receive 84,000 MNT per month. In connection with this, Cabinet decided to study the possibility of setting different amounts of benefits depending on the degree of disability.
The premier assigned officials to include in next year’s budget the necessary funding for the establishment of a nursing home for people with paralysis without parents or permanent guardians, and instructed them to pay attention to the fixed payment of a 30 percent salary bonus to educators and teachers working with children with disabilities.
In addition, a center for providing comprehensive education, health and welfare services to people with disabilities is planned to be established at the Rehabilitation Center for Children with Disabilities in Sonsgolon. A working group in charge of this project has been set up.
Last week, parents protested outside the State Palace while holding their children suffering from paralysis and living with disabilities. They demanded the government help them obtain anticonvulsant, a muscle relaxant that has been in short supply for over two years, for their children and pay more attention to their needs.
Cabinet also made the following decisions:
• In accordance with the Law on State Austerity, the Ulaanbaatar Employment Agency and Social Protection Department were merged into the Labor and Social Protection Department.
• CEO of Tavan Tolgoi JSC B.Gankhuyag and Chairman of the Board of Directors D.Batbaatar were instructed to take measures to repair damages along a section stretching 305.1 kilometers along the Mandalgovi-Dalanzadgad road and ensure traffic safety.
• In order to ensure an uninterrupted and reliable supply of energy to consumers, Minister of Foreign Relations B.Battsetseg was tasked to work with the relevant Chinese authorities to import spare parts and equipment needed for winter preparations in the energy sector.
