A unified registry of patients with chronic diseases will be launched in Russia on March 1. Doctors fear leaks.

To the registry will be brought in Data on patients suffering from diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, mental health, and some other chronic diseases will be collected. It will record prescriptions, tests, procedures, surgeries, complications, length of hospital stay, etc. The State Duma claims this will significantly improve the quality of treatment monitoring.

In addition to the Ministry of Health and medical organizations, Roszdravnadzor, Rosstat, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will also have access to the registry.

Experts warn of the risks associated with possible data leaks from the registry. For example, the chairman of the board of the Association of Software Developers "Domestic Software" Natalia Kasperskaya believes that this information could easily fall into the hands of scammers.

"We have too much information in the digital space now. And the desire to increase it works in favor of fraudsters, not the other way around. There will definitely be many people wanting access to a single database."- said Kaspersky.

In the public organization "Contact", which helps people with autism spectrum disorders,  fearthat information about the diagnosis will reach potential employers, banks and other services, and this could “significantly complicate a person’s life.” 

"Currently, the Ministry of Internal Affairs already has virtually unlimited access to personal data—but only on a case-by-case basis: if a person has broken the law or is in danger. Now, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will have access to a massive amount of personalized data from people who simply come to see a psychiatrist.", says the president of the charitable organization Perspectives Maria Ostrovskaya. 

The Ministry of Health traditionally denies such accusations, claiming that data protection is guaranteed and leaks are excluded.