Organizational structure of the health care
system
Until 1991 the health system of the Soviet Union was organized along highly centralized lines
with the Supreme Soviet holding ultimate authority. Responsibility for health care provision
was delegated to the Ministry of Health of the U.S.S.R which in turn oversaw Ministries of
Health within the 15 Soviet Socialist Republics. Russian health care then, was subject to the
supervision of the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic’s Ministry of Health, which covered more
than 80% of the territory of the Soviet Union. However, it had little policy formation role and
tended to carry out nationally determined supra-soviet directives. Departments within the AllSoviet
Ministry
included;
• Curative Health Care Services
• Maternal and Child Health Care
• Medical and Nursing Education
• Sanitary Epidemiological Services and
• Sanatoria and Resorts.
The Ministry also directly supervised special, all soviet health services and institutions
(largely highly specialized and research oriented) and oversaw the All-Soviet Quarantine
Institute and the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences which in turn regulated individual
national Research Institutes.