Healthcare in Dagestan during the Civil war

Abstract

Based on a wide range of both published and newly introduced documents, the article examines the development of the health care system in Dagestan during the 1917 Revolution and the Civil War. The health care system in Dagestan, not very developed at the beginning of the 20th century, underwent a number of serious changes during the years of radical breakdown in Russian history with a negative impact on the state of public health in the region. The author considers the specifics of the changes in mangement of health care after the February revolution. The measures proposed by the Provisional Government proved inapplicable to Dagestan. Therefore, a special provision was developed, according to which the medical and sanitary case was assigned to a special city commission. During the period under review, there was an acute shortage of qualified medical personnel in Dagestan. In order to fill this deficit, a paramedic school was established in the city of Temir-Khan-Shura at the infirmary. Despite the fact that special manuals were issued to prevent infectious diseases, and also special sanitary commissions, it was not possible to avoid the high mortality rate from typhoid and typhus. This was due to the low effectiveness of antiepidemic measures. The author comes to the conclusion that, despite the difficult political situation, all political players in the region without exception turned to transformations in the field of management, of medical care.