Reform in Ukraine is Right Path towards Modern High-Performing Healthcare System, – Ulana Suprun

On October 19, 2017, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the first law launching the long-awaited process of change in the health care system in the country. The transformation of the primary health care and treatment and implementation of the so-called principle “The money follows the patient” are expected to start in early 2018, after the President signs this law. And after the adoption of the complete package of laws, the National Health Service of Ukraine will be introduced to conduct the procurement of healthcare services for patients and manage budget to finance medical institutions.

“By the adoption of Healthcare Reform in Ukraine we say goodbye to the “Soviet” legacy in medical field and chose the path towards a modern high-performing healthcare system. This is the path of gradual improvements simultaneously on all fronts: medical infrastructure, doctors' training, financing, roads. This was the journey of all the countries with modern health care systems” – emphasized Dr. Ulana Suprun, the acting Minister of Health of Ukraine.

Serhiy Berezenko, People's Deputy of Ukraine emphasized the following: “The law that we have recently adopted is a huge step towards bringing positive change in the health care sector: combating domestic healthcare corruption and fraud, establishing the competitive environment among healthcare providers for the patient’s choice and ensuring efficient decentralization. From now on, the authorities will in no way be able to influence the patient’s choice, as people will choose the healthcare provider and specialist based on own preferences. And this is the most tremendous victory of this reform”. The MP also noted that Ukraine is one of the countries with the highest value in the world in the World Bank Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) ranking with the Hospital beds per 1,000 people value of approximately 8.7, being only behind three countries. However, Ukraine maintains leadership in mortality rates. Moreover, the average inpatient bed occupancy rate in hospitals throughout the country equals to about 30%. This means that 2/3 of the budget funds for the medical sector are the money poured down the drain.

In turn, Oleksandr Yabchanka, the medical reform expert of the Reanimation Package of Reforms group, underlined the following idea: “Every year, 640 thousand families experience the financial difficulties due to health problems or illness of one of the family members. The key purpose of the Health Care Financing Reform, developed by the Cabinet of Ministers and supported by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, is to ensure affordability of (or financial access to) quality healthcare services. Meanwhile, the implementation of the President’s bill On Improving the Accessibility of Healthcare Services in Rural Areas should ensure physical accessibility of quality health care. However, the adopted laws only provide us with the legal grounds for the Reform implementation, so its success will mainly depend on the coordinated work and participation of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Presidential Administration, local government bodies and administrations, heads of medical institutions, doctors and citizens at a local level. Therefore, there is a lot of work that needs to be done in the next two years”.