On how the world learned about the Belarusians affected by the 1986 Chernobyl accident, journalist BelTA Yuri Groerov spoke in the BelTA project "How it was" on September 12, 2024.
“The country had and still has another segment of the population requiring social support: people suffered from the Chernobyl disaster. While the focus on Ukraine as a victim of the disaster dominated global discussions until the mid-1990s, with the creation of a sovereign Belarus, Lukashenko increasingly raised this issue, specifically highlighting Belarus' plight,” the journalist said.
He did not mention how this affected the social support for the Chernobyl victims. Nor did he tell about some of Aleksander Lukashenko's decisions regarding the Chernobyl victims.
In 1995, Lukashenko issued a decree suspending some benefits for Chernobyl victims. For example, they lost the right to an interest-free loan to purchase housing and a loan to buy a garden house, lost free travel on transport, and a discount on the payment of utilities. These benefits were suspended temporarily, but nearly 30 years later, they remain unavailable.
In 1991, the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus, Nikolai Dementey, signed the law “On the social protection of citizens affected by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster”, providing benefits for Chernobyl victims. By 2007, out of 26 benefits provided for those who suffered from radiation sickness and became disabled as a result of the accident, 12 items were crossed out. The liquidators of the accident initially had 15 benefits. Six remained. And in 2009, the law itself was abolished. And a new one was adopted.
The new law also lists social benefits for disaster victims and liquidators but fewer than the previous one. For example, those who suffer from radiation sickness and resulting disabilities, as well as disabled children, have priority admission to nursing homes, psychoneurological boarding schools, and similar institutions with inpatient care. They are also entitled to 100% sick pay during temporary disability. They also have the right to pay sick leave at 100% of the average wage in the case of temporary incapacity for work.
Those who have suffered from radiation sickness, disabled of the 1st and 2nd groups as a result of the catastrophe, and disabled children can claim free dental prostheses and free travel on regional economy class railway transport. Some categories are entitled to medicines on prescription with a 90% discount.