Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said that any decision to ban foreign-made medical products would be "thoroughly weighed and discussed with medical experts."
Medvedev wrote on Facebook on September 2 that imports of medical goods will not be banned until "there is a 100 percent confidence that we have domestically made substitutes of proper quality and affordable prices."
Last month, Russia's Industry and Trade Ministry announced plans to ban a range of foreign-made medical goods, including MRI scanners, X-ray and ultrasound machines, defibrillators, incubators for newborns, prosthetic devices, sterile bandages, orthopedic hospital mattresses, walking frames, and condoms.
The proposed ban has sparked dismay in Russia, where many hospitals are woefully underequipped, and thousands of Russians have signed a petition demanding that the proposed ban be withdrawn.
