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Russia Diancam Kepupusan

(Russia Faces Extinction)

Oleh: Vasily Bubnov

Sesi kebangsaan Russia membincangkan 'The Main Results of the Social Development of The Russian Federation in 2001 dan the Goals for 2002' (Hasil Utama Pembangunan Sosial tahun 2001 dan Sasaran untuk 2002 di Persekutuan Russia) sedang berlangsung sekarang di Moscow. Segala perangkaan yang dibentangkan oleh kerajaan Russia menunjukkan betapa banyaknya masalah sosial. Puan Valentine Matviyenko, timbalan perdana menteri kerajaan Russia memberi ingatan betapa kadar kematian di Russia adalah 1.7 kali ganda lebih tinggi berbanding kadar kelahiran pada tahun 2001. Semua orang sedar betapa penduduk Russia sudah semakin mencapai usia tua begitu cepat sekali. Itu juga masalah yang sama dihadapi oleh negara Eropah yang lain dan juga Jepun, walaupun alasan kepada masalah itu ada perbezaannya. Ramai keluarga yang tidak mahu mempunyai anak kerana satu sebab sahaja, iaitu ia memakan belanja yang besar. Untuk memelihara hanya seorang anak memerlukan belanja yang tinggi dan keluarga Russia tidak dapat menjamin masa depan yang baik untuk anak-anak mereka. Masyarakat Eropah dan Jepun yang masih muda lebih berminat dengan kerjaya mereka, dan menghabiskan masa yang banyak dengan isu ini. Kesannya mereka tidak mempunyai masa untuk membesarkan anak mereka.

Ini tidak bererti kerajaan Russia tidak risaukan keadaan kritikal yang menghantui negaranya. Mesti ada beberapa kemudahan yang dijanjikan kepada keluarga yang membesarkan anak-anak mereka. Namun, jumlah dana untuk tujuan demikian adalah terhad, dan rakyat terpaksa melalui terlalu banyak rintangan birokrasi untuk mendapatkannya. Kerana itu ramai rakyat Russia bertindak tidak mahu anak dan kalau mereka mahupun, mereka cuba menyelesaikan masalah yang timbul mengikut upaya sendiri.

Jumlah penduduk Russia yang mengidap penyakit HIV semakin membesar. Indeks itu bertambah daripada 18 ribu kepada 85.5 ribu dalam masa 1999-2001, dan ini merupakan maklumat kerajaan. Mereka yang mengidap penyakit ini menghadapi masalah besar kerana kos perubatan yang sungguh tinggi, dan tidak semua orang mampu menanganinya. Lagipun, seorang pengidap HIV menghadapi banyak masalah peribadi setiap hari di tempat kerja dan konflik dengan jiran tetangga, dan begitu banyak lagi masalahnya. Rencana kerajaan mencegah Aids memang tidak mencukupi, walaupun ada pertubuhan amal yang menanganinya dengan bantuan wang asing.

Demikian juga masalah yang dihadapi oleh penagih dadah. 90% pengidap HIV adalah mereka yang menggunakan dadah melalui suntikan. Terdapat 270,000 penagih dadah yang didaftar secara rasmi di Russia pada 2001. Setiap orang yang kelima mendapat rawatan perubatan. Pada waktu yang sama rawatan tanpa menggunakan perubatan sudahpun mengancam situasi ini.

Ketika menyentuh isu negara yang 'sihat' hanya 9 peratus rakyat Russia termasuk 5 peratus kaum wanita, mengikut Velentina Matviyenko yang dikira sihat. Ketika Bart sedang cuba menghindari alkohol dan rokok, stadium Russia merupakan tempat yang paling dahsyat dengan bahan ini. Inilah yang menjadi masalah kerajaan sekarang ini.

Pada waktu yang sama, Presiden jawatankuasa Olimpik Russia, Leonid Tyagachev telah mendapat ilham bagaimana boleh menaja program sukan Russia. Dia bercadang dalam ucapannya agar Jawatankuasa Olimpik Russia mempunyai hotelnya sendiri, dan menaja satu sistem loteri sukan dan membuka kasino serta aktiviti perniagaan menjual vodka dan rokok. Nampaknya, ketika separuh penduduk Russia asyik merokok dan meminum vodka, separuh lagi akan terus berkeadaan sihat. Adalah diharapkan kerajaan tidak akan meluluskan cadangan Tyagachev ini.

Terdapat banyak lagi masalah sosial di Russia. Isu pengangguran, kanak-kanak yang merempat, pemabukan, dan pendapatan pekerja yang terlalu rendah. Kenapakah kerajaan Russia baru sekarang memberikan perhatian kepada masalah ini? Selepas Presiden Putin berucap untuk bertindak menangani masalah ini? Sepatutnya tindakan dilaksanakan sebelum terlambat, jika tidak, selepas 20 tahun nanti, tidak ada lagi penduduk Russia yang hidup untuk diambil perhatian.

Vasily Bubnov dengan terjemahan B.I. oleh Dmitry Sudakov.

[Catatan Penterjemah: Hai...! Bukankah Raja Penyangak mahu Russia menjadi satu kuasa besar mengimbangi kekuatan Amerika???]

Asal:

http://english.pravda.ru/main/2002/03/19/27085.html

2002-03-19 RUSSIA FACES EXTINCTION!

The Russian national session 'The Main Results of the Social Development of the Russian Federation in 2001 and the Goals for 2002' is taking place in Moscow. The data, which were presented at the session by the Russian government, testified to the fact that there are still very many social problems. Valentina Matviyenko, vice premier of the Russian government, advised that the death rate was 1.7 times as high as the birth rate in the year 2001. Everyone knows that the Russian population is growing old very fast. The same problem can be found in other European countries and Japan, but the reasons for this problem are different. A lot of families choose not to have children for one reason: it is very expensive. Raising even one child costs a lot, and Russian families are not sure if they can guarantee a good life to their children. The young people of Europe and Japan are more interested in their careers, and they spend the majority of their time on this issue. As a result, they do not have the time to raise children.

One cannot say that the Russian government is not worried about the critical situation in our country. There should be certain benefits guaranteed to families that have little ones, but the amount of funding for such help is very low, and people have to go through a lot of red tape in order to get it. Therefore, lot of people simply decide not to have kids, and even if they do, they try to solve their problems with their own efforts.

Valentina Matviyenko also said that the number of the HIV-infected people was growing in Russia. This index increased from 18 thousand to 85.5 thousand people during the period of 1999-2001, and this is only the official information. These people have to face a great deal of problems. Medical treatment is very expensive, and not everyone can afford it. Moreover, an infected person has a lot of problems in his or her everyday life: problems at work and conflicts with neighbors; the list goes on and on. The AIDS precaution measures in Russia are totally unsatisfactory. There are just several organizations that deal with it, basically at the expense of foreign money.

The situation is the same when it comes to drug addicts. As Valentina Matviyenko mentioned, 90% of the HIV-infected people used drugs by means of intravenous injections. At the same time, there were 270 thousand drug addicts officially registered in Russia in 2001, and only every fifth patient is under medical treatment. Matviyenko also said that the non-medical use of medicines had taken threatening forms.

Speaking about the "healthy" nation, it should be said that only nine percent of Russians, including five percent of women. Valentina Matviyenko said that, while the West is running away from alcohol and smoking, the Russian stadiums and sports fields are turning into market places. The vice premier said that the sports issue is going to be considered by the government. Let's hope for the best.

In addition, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee, Leonid Tyagachev, has found the financial sources to fund Russian sports programs. He said during his speech at the session of the Federation Council on March 11 that the Russian Olympic Committee should have its own hotels; the sports lottery should be retrieved, he even mentioned casinos; and income can be earbed from selling vodka and cigarettes. So as it seems, one part of Russia will smoke and drink vodka, whereas the other part will be healthy. Let's hope that the government will not consider Tyagachev's offer seriously.

The list of problems in the social field is surely includes more that the ones mentioned above. There is also unemployment, homeless children, alcoholism, and the low level of the population's income. Why is the Russian government paying attention to the problems only now' And only after President Putin said something about them. There should be something done before it's too late, otherwise, there will be nobody left in Russia after 20 years who should be taken care of.

Vasily Bubnov PRAVDA.Ru