Acting Minister of Health Ulyana Suprun met with the heads of oblast hromadas and family doctors at the invitation of the Zhytomyr Local Government Development Centre, established by the U-LEAD with Europe Programme and MinRegion. At the meeting, the Minister assured that the reform of the secondary link of the healthcare system would be based on the experience of the primary healthcare reform, namely the process of autonomisation of medical institutions.

“It is utterly important to launch the process of autonomy of all specialised healthcare facilities. And this is one of the main prerequisites to be connected to the next stage of transformation. Focus on the development of human capital and investment attraction in the region, since the reform cannot be implemented without personnel,” Ulyana Suprun emphasised.

The heads of hromadas were interested in financing of the secondary healthcare reform implementation process, as an active phase of specialised institutions’ transformation starts in 2019. This is extremely important for hromadas that have already taken over the management of the secondary link.

“We have already taken over two rayon hospitals that serve 134 settlements throughout the whole rayon. By the end of the year, we will lack the funds to maintain these institutions. We need an additional medical subvention. We have been actively involved in the reform, today more than 70% of the population have already signed declarations with family doctors, and this insufficient funding simply “binds” our hands,” – said Ivan Korud, head of the Ovrutska AH.

Ulyana Suprun stressed that next week the Government will discuss the possibility of additional allocation of UAH 1.5 billion of medical subvention, which should settle the issue of co-financing of the secondary level.

“Family doctors, who have signed declarations with the maximum number of patients, will receive an increased salary for the first time this month. Family physicians will get UAH 16 000, pediatricians – UAH 17 000. The nurses, working with these doctors, will earn UAH 10 000. This is a qualitative change, but it is necessary to move further,” said Ulyana Suprun, acting Minister of Health of Ukraine.

The participants of the meeting agreed that implementation of the secondary healthcare reform should show a new approach of, particularly, hromadas to the maintenance of healthcare institutions – from maintenance to development.