The section contains data on the network and personnel of the medical institutions, on the morbidity and disability rates of the population.

The total number of medical doctors includes all medical doctors with the higher medical education engaged in the treatment and sanitary organisations, social security institutions, research institutes, personnel training institutions, in public health management bodies and others.

The total number of medium-level medical (nurses) personnel includes all the persons with the secondary medical education, who are engaged in medical treatment and sanitary organisations, social security institutions, pre-school institutions, secondary general schools, children's homes and etc.

Subject to be recorded in the hospitals are the beds equipped with the required appliances and ready to receive patients.

Medical institutions rendering out-patient services to population include all the medical institutions which provide service for out-patients (polyclinics, out-patient clinics, dispensaries, out-patient departments of the hospitals, etc.).

Before 1999 International Classification of Diseases, Traumas and Causes of Death of the World Health Organisation (WHO) (IX revision, WHO, 1975) was applied for statistical tabulation of data on the population morbidity rate, since 1999 - International Classification of Diseases and Problems connected with health (X revision, WHO, 1989).

In 1992 and 1995 persons of 16 years and over were included in the number of persons recognized as disabled for the first time (table 9.4), since 2000, in accordance with changes in the legislation of the Russian Federation - persons of 18 year and over.