The retention rate of young medical professionals at nearly 80% is the result of systematic work. This was highlighted by Vyacheslav Shilo, chairman of the Belarusian Union of Healthcare Workers, during a traveling meeting of the Presidium of the Republican Committee of the BPRZ in Petrykivka, BELTA reports.

The meeting of the republic's medical professional union took place at the Petrykivka Central District Hospital.

The head of the industry union noted a steady rise in key healthcare system indicators: the staffing of doctors at occupied positions in the country exceeded 96%, the average medical personnel at 97%, and the retention rate of young specialists in their first jobs reached almost 80%, well ahead of planned targets.

«The main secret of these figures lies in practical work on the ground. The key tool that helps solve specific problems for medical professionals and retain them in the profession has become collective agreements. Nearly 95% of healthcare institutions to which graduates of medical universities and colleges are assigned have recorded real support measures in these documents», he emphasized.

Natalia Kupreychik, head of the socio‑economic work department of the BPRZ, explained in detail how collective agreements work in practice and help meet the life needs of medical workers. According to her, almost two‑thirds of organizations (67%) have included provisions in the collective agreements for assistance with housing or compensation for apartment rental costs. The union, together with the Ministry of Health, conducts regular monitoring: they check the living conditions of young staff down to photo reports, and they negotiate with local authorities about additional budgetary payments.

Collective agreements guarantee young specialists substantial salary supplements: on average they amount to about 44%, and also grant the right to additional incentive leave. The union is currently actively initiating the introduction of lump‑sum payments for those willing to sign the next contract immediately for five years.

In more than 700 institutions, a mentorship system has been established through collective agreements. Experienced doctors and nurses receive monetary payments for passing on their experience to newcomers, which helps young staff enter professional life comfortably and more confidently. Additionally, the documents stipulate monetary payments upon the birth of children, benefits for employees with family responsibilities, and the possibility of taking paid study leave or improving qualifications at the institution's expense.

According to Natalia Kupreychik, a collective agreement becomes a genuine protective mechanism only when it answers the worker’s