Rostelecom, together with its subsidiaries RT Doctis and RT MIS and the Public Health Ministry of Dagestan, has expanded the functionality of its online healthcare access service for residents of the republic through the MAX national messenger. Apart from the scheduling appointments with specialists, patients can now receive remote medical consultations. The service also allows users to view upcoming appointments, cancel them if necessary, and access information about their assigned healthcare facility. Since December 2025, Dagestan residents have made approximately one million inquiries to the "Doctor Appointment (Republic of Dagestan)" chatbot.
Ruslan Yarakhmedov, Director of Rostelecom's Dagestan Branch: "Implementation of this project was made possible through the synergy of federal agencies and regional authorities. Deploying the chatbot on regional public services portals ensures the necessary level of security and full compliance with personal data protection standards. The official chatbot of the regional Public Health Ministry has been verified and carries a special badge confirming the authenticity of its information".
The new service in the MAX messenger offers several key advantages:
1. Ease of use: Citizens no longer need to visit healthcare facilities in person to schedule appointments or receive consultations. Initial registration requires only consent to personal data processing, entry of date of birth and SNILS (Russian pension insurance number), and authorization via the Gosuslugi (Public Services) portal.
2. 24/7 availability: The chatbot provides instant support for accessing medical information and services at any time.
3. Time and resource savings: Online interaction between patients and healthcare providers reduces the need for frequent in-person visits and improves the efficiency of managing patient flows.
Yaroslav Glazov, Public Health Minister of Dagestan: "Residents of Dagestan embrace digital healthcare. Remote consultations are becoming part of everyday practice, which is especially important for providing timely medical support to people living in remote mountainous areas. We continue to improve the republican healthcare system and remove barriers to accessible medical care. The need for a remote healthcare access service was clearly demonstrated during the heavy rains and flooding that affected Dagestan towns and villages in March and April of this year".
Future development plans include adding functionality for remote issuance of sick leave certificates following online consultations and electronic processing of voluntary consent forms for medical interventions, including surgical procedures. Enhancements to data processing workflows, combined with new digital services, will further improve patient comfort and accessibility of medical care.