Visually impaired residents of Nizhny Novgorod will continue to work as massage therapists in hospitals.

      01 December 2025 12:00

      Society

      The Trade Union of Healthcare Workers of the Nizhny Novgorod Region secured the preservation of jobs for nurses and male nurses who provide massage and have visual impairments. These specialists will be able to continue working in public hospitals despite recent changes to the Ministry of Health's recommendations.

      According to Alexey Nikonov, editor-in-chief of the MIA "Stacionar-press", their positions had previously been removed from the list recommended for early medical rehabilitation units. This created a threat of dismissal for many professionals with visual impairments.

      The union's intervention was prompted by an appeal from one of the massage therapists with a disability. After that, the regional committee of the organization, together with the Nizhny Novgorod Medical College and relevant specialists, sent an inquiry to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

      As a result, the ministry clarified that nurses and male nurses who provide massage may be included in rehabilitation teams. This means that specialists with visual impairments retain the right to work in their profession.

      Thus the union managed to protect not only the rights of current employees but also the prospects of students with disabilities studying in this specialty.

      Earlier the Ministry of Health reported which doctors are lacking in the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

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