Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Vladimir Putin: Ms Golikova, what is the situation at the hospitals? How do the victims feel? What do the doctors say? Are there any issues that require our special attention today?

Tatyana Golikova: Mr Putin, the situation with those hospitalised immediately after the terrorist attack has improved slightly. Allow me to explain it. Yesterday, 110 victims were in the hospital, and today, there are 117. And this is to be expected. People tend to reassess their condition within the first three days of an accident if they at first refused to go to the hospital or received only outpatient care. The number of those who received outpatient care at medical centres in Moscow and the Moscow Region is 28 and 24 people respectively. Generally, the hospitalised victims are improving. Yesterday, seven patients were in extremely critical condition and 39 were in critical condition. Now, there are three patients in extremely critical condition and 24 are critical. So, the patients’ conditions have improved by a step, from extremely critical to critical and from critical to a moderately critical respectively.

Vladimir Putin: This is certainly positive.

Tatyana Golikova: Yes, it is indeed. Most of the patients with shrapnel wounds in a critical condition were operated on that night and the next morning. We registered improvements in their condition over the first 24 hours after the operation. Naturally, there are some problems. And needless to say, all patients are under close supervision by doctors. We will keep you informed of how things are developing.

As for the supplies, both federal healthcare institutions and those managed by the Moscow government are supplied with everything necessary. So, there are no problems in this area.

Apparently, it’s too early to talk about it, but if some need rehabilitation therapy, we will provide it at our facilities free of charge. If any special rehabilitation measures are needed, we will decide on each case individually.

As for the deceased, 34 of the 35 people killed have been identified. We are now waiting for the relatives of the last deceased person to turn up to witness the identification of the body. So, we will soon be through with this mournful procedure and all the necessary documents, including the burial permit, will be issued.

Vladimir Putin: Are there any explosion victims remaining at hospitals in the Moscow Region?

Tatyana Golikova: Two victims remain at a hospital in the Moscow Region. There were three of them, but yesterday one patient was transferred to a federal healthcare centre which lies closest to that hospital because this person needed healthcare services of a higher level.

Vladimir Putin: How do you inform the relatives?

Tatyana Golikova: The relatives keep coming. The Moscow government is providing hotel accommodations in the vicinity of the forensic centre for those who lost their relatives in the terrorist attack. The relatives of the victims who are at hospitals, naturally, prefer to spend as much time as possible with them. For these relatives, the city government provides hotel accommodations in corresponding districts.

Vladimir Putin: What government bodies will be responsible for compensation payments?

Tatyana Golikova: Compensation will be paid. The governments of Moscow and the Moscow Region will collect the necessary information depending on where the person lived. Social security offices in Moscow and the Moscow Region will be paying compensation based on this information.

Vladimir Putin: So, the Moscow and the Moscow Regional authorities will be in charge of that?

Tatyana Golikova: Yes.

Vladimir Putin: Good.