The country is implementing decentralisation that strengths hromadas, promotes rural development and provides a new quality of life. And here the President’s initiative of rural healthcare development is the key one, since healthcare is the basic and most important service for a person, said Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, during his visit to the newly built rural outpatient clinic in Zaborol village of the Rivne Oblast.

“Construction of a new educational space, new outpatient clinics in rural areas, bright children's playgrounds – all this creates a quality of life for Ukrainian youth, educates and protects young people. On the other hand, we have elderly people, who also need attention and assistance from the state and, most importantly, accessible medical services. Construction of new outpatient clinics in the countryside has really brought services to people. 517 new outpatient clinics are currently being built in Ukraine. The entire rural primary healthcare network we have formed in accordance with the Methodology envisages 4223 outpatient clinics,” noted Hennadii Zubko.

In terms of the pace of construction of new rural outpatient clinics the Rivne Oblast is among top three leaders in Ukraine. 34 new outpatient clinics are being built here. One has already been opened in February 2019. Another 14 are planned to open in March, and 19 – till June 2019.

The Rivne Oblast is among the pilot regions, where telemedicine is being implemented. Thus, the innovative technology is already being tested in the newly built outpatient clinic in the Zaborol village. From now on, residents of a small village do not have to travel dozens of kilometres to rayon or oblast centre to get medical consultation. The local doctor will be able to contact a second-level specialist from the oblast hospital and provide high-quality medical care.

According to the Vice Prime Minister, after the launch of telemedicine, the medical service will become much better in quality. “Family doctors in hromadas will be able to contact a single-disciplined specialist – cardiologist, pulmonologist, dermatologist, endocrinologist from an oblast hospital. In addition, the list of consultations will also include pediatrics. Such a mechanism will launch a more effective provision of medical services,” Hennadii Zubko said.

It should be mentioned that the newly built Zaborol outpatient clinic of general practice – family medicine has been reorganised from the rural health post. It serves an area of 10 km that includes five settlements of the Rivne Oblast – Zaborol, Reshutsk, Kustyn, Boyanivka and Serhiyivka with a population of 3,273 people.