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Two decades after the Soviet collapse, Russia's constitution still guarantees free medical care for everyone. But many Russians say their country is actually segregated between a lucky few who can afford good medical care in private clinics and the vast majority who are left with almost no safety net -- or are forced to make side payments to doctors to get care.
In many regions, crumbling hospitals rely on Soviet-era equipment. Even in Moscow, many hospitals don’t even have air conditioners to stave off the summer heat.
Natalia (who did not want to give her last name) is a nurse at a top state ophthalmology institute. She maintains that in most cases there are two levels of care: free and paid-for.
"The free procedures are ones patients don’t need," she says. "Anything that concerns life-threatening conditions costs a fee."
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