Healthcare in Ukraine

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National Health Service of Ukraine

Healthcare in Ukraine is part of a universal health care system largely built up as a successor of the Soviet healthcare system otherwise dismantled in 1991. The Ministry of Healthcare implements the state policy in the country in the field of medicine and healthcare.

History[edit]

As of March 2009, the Ukrainian government planned on reforming the health care system, by the creation of a national network of family doctors and improvements in the medical emergency services.[1] Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko wanted (in November 2009) to start introducing a public healthcare system based on health insurance in the spring of 2010.[2]

Further reform was promised by Health Minister Alexander Kvitashvili in 2014 but proposals failed to make political progress and he offered his resignation - which was not accepted. State funding for hospitals cover only the electricity and meager staff salaries, leading to widespread bribery. Even hot water is a problem. Charitable donations are needed to buy even basic medicines or fuel needed to visit patients.[3]

Although some companies (in their collective agreement) supply their employees insurance medicine[4] Ukraine doesn't. But it is making a switch to insurance medicine, a transformation that will start in 2017 and will last until 2020.[5]

Ukrainian healthcare should be free to citizens according to law, but in practice patients contribute to the cost of most aspects of healthcare.[6]

Medical institutions[edit]

Flag of the Ministry of Health Care

As of March 2015:

  • The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has about 3050 medical institutions (almost 91% of the total number in Ukraine).
  • The Department of Corrections has 114 institutions (almost 3%).
  • The Academy of Medical Sciences has 41 medical institutions (1%).

Indicators[edit]

Life expectancy at birth in Ukraine

As of March 2009:

  • The capacity of [hospital] institutions in all ministries and [departments] today is 436.4 thousand beds.
  • Institutions have 403 thousand beds,
  • Department of Corrections, has 11 thousand beds,
  • 7.5 thousand beds are subordinated to the Academy of Medical Sciences.
  • Outpatient clinics are designed for 957.1 thousand visits per shift.
  • The Ministry of Health has a network of outpatient clinics, which are designed for 890.7 thousand visits per shift.
  • The institutions of the Academy of Medical Sciences can consult about 5 thousand patients per shift.

A total of 207.9 thousand doctors worked in health care in 2008, 82% of them in the Ministry of Health, and the rest in departmental medicine. The shortage of medical staff reached 48 thousand people. Provision of doctors in the field - 45.2 per 10 thousand population. Of these, 26.7 doctors (per 10,000 population) directly provide medical care, which is much lower than the European average.

Medical reform in Ukraine[edit]

  • November 30, 2016 - The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the Concept of Health Care Reform. The Ministry of Health was instructed to develop an action plan for its implementation.[7]
  • October 19, 2017 -VRU adopted the medical reform, it was supported by 240 deputies.[8]
  • January 1, 2018 - the bill comes into force. The state must pay for medical services under the program of medical guarantees to institutions from August 1, 2018.
  • July 2, 2018 - An updated list of services primary health care came into force in Ukraine.[9]
  • January 1, 2020 - reimbursement prices of medicines from the state guaranteed package are introduced.[8][10] It is proposed to create about 100 Hospital Districts by 2018.

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ National network of family doctors to be established by 2010, says health minister, Interfax-Ukraine (March 30, 2009)
  2. ^ Ukraine to start introducing insurance-based healthcare system in spring of 2010, Kyiv Post (November 24, 2009)
  3. ^ "Ukraine health system in danger of collapse as reforms stall". Reuters. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  4. ^ Varga, Mihai (16 May 2016). Worker Protests in Post-Communist Romania and Ukraine: Striking with tied hands. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781526112491. Retrieved 18 February 2019 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "Switch to insurance medicine to start in 2017, to last until 2020". En.interfax.com.ua. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  6. ^ Mendel, Iuliia (5 April 2017). "In Ukraine, health care is free (except when it's not)". POLITICO. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  7. ^ "On approval of the Concept of Health Care Financing Reform". CMU order. 30 Nov 2016.
  8. ^ a b "The Verkhovna Rada approved medical reform". CMU order. 19 Oct 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  9. ^ InterFax-Ukraine. "In Ukraine, an updated list of primary health care services came into force" (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  10. ^ Rbc.ua. "Rada approved medical reform". РБК-Украина (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2018-02-21.