January 30, 2025 in the mountains. Pevek, Chukotka Autonomous District, as part of the program of interdepartmental experimental research exercises of the forces and means of the unified State system for the prevention and elimination of emergency situations in the Arctic Federal District "Safe Arctic 2025", a round table was held on "Features of medical response and medical care during rescue operations and emergency response at remote industrial and civilian facilities in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation".

      Russian Ministry of Health, health authorities of the Arctic regions of the Russian Federation, interested state corporations (Rosatom State Corporation), business entities (Rosneft, Gazprom, major shipowners) and departments (FMBA of Russia, Maritime Rescue Service), in total more than 200 people is a large enough audience for such a specific narrow topic, and this is evidence of a serious interest in the problems of emergency medicine in the Arctic.

       The invited speakers, leading experts in the field of industrial, marine, extreme and radiation medicine, highlighted the development of the medical care system for the population of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, the medical component of rescue operations and emergency response, first aid to sick and injured workers and residents of the Arctic territories, medical safety of navigation on the Northern Sea Route

      The Arctic zone is a strategic and economic outpost of the country, which is important for the development of the economy due to its geopolitical position and resource potential. The vital activity of the living and working population, as well as the fulfillment of tasks set by the country's leadership, depends on the full development of medical care in the northern regions. In recent years, much attention has been paid to Arctic medicine: within the framework of national projects, medical organizations are being modernized, the air ambulance service is developing, the air ambulance service is being deployed, a network of specialized units of the FMBA of Russia is being deployed, and new forms of medical care for the population of remote territories are being introduced. In addition to the positive changes observed in recent years, the participants noted problems that still need to be worked on and issues that need to be resolved, and with joint efforts.

      In order to increase the effectiveness of emergency prevention and response in the Arctic, it is proposed to create a permanent working group to study, summarize and improve the system of providing medical and sanitary care and treatment to victims during rescue operations and emergency response at remote industrial and civilian facilities, to study and evaluate the state and capabilities of the medical support system for the population and casualties during an emergency. Understand the algorithms for predicting the medical and sanitary consequences of radiation accidents and determine the needs for medical forces and resources to eliminate these consequences. To sort out the regulations of interdepartmental interaction.

      Accessibility and quality of medical care. To ensure the availability of medical services, it is important to maintain an excess base of medical organizations and institutions in the Arctic, despite the low population density. Effective medical care in case of any accidents or acute illnesses is unthinkable without competent first aid. It is necessary to adjust and put into effect the procedure for first aid for remote facilities.

      The experts recommended that the Russian First Aid Society develop a special training and methodological complex for remote facilities. A system of remote first aid counseling using innovative technologies should be more widely implemented. It is advisable to develop and implement an algorithm for remote consultations in the "doctor-patient" format on ships traveling along the Northern Sea Route. The current model of remote consulting for small mobile remote production facilities with evacuation support, the so-called assistance, can be used as a basis.

      In order to overcome the shortage of personnel, experts suggest developing a form of assistance specifically for remote settlements by mobile teams of doctors who can conduct preventive examinations and provide on-site medical care. It is advisable to introduce specialized training programs for advanced training and retraining in the field of remote healthcare. A similar experience was tested in Tomsk at SibSMU, where the country's first professional retraining program for doctors working at remote facilities is being implemented. More recently, the manual "Remote Healthcare" has been published, summarizing the Russian and world experience in this field (Remote healthcare. A.B. Karpov (ed.). GEOTAO - Media, 2024. 816 p.) There are no domestic analogues of the book: the issues of assessing the state of health and reserve capabilities of the body of industrial workers, the basics of psychological stability in extreme conditions, assessment of occupational risks and health-threatening factors, the possibility of physical recovery during the shift period, the organization of emergency care and emergency medical evacuation, effective the use of digital technologies, etc.

      Development and strengthening of the air ambulance service. Recent observations show a steady increase in the number of medical evacuations.

      It is important to increase spending on air ambulance from the federal budget in the near future. Provide the regions with small aircraft and airfields, which will significantly reduce the weather dependence of evacuation measures.