The regions have received the Procedure to comply with in their work on formation of a primary healthcare network. MinRegion and the Ministry of Health signed a joint order approving the relevant document, informed Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services.

The official expressed hope that the Ministry of Justice will register this order within the shortest possible time and noted that the regions can already use it in their work.

According to him, the document defines the mechanism and conditions for the formation of a network of primary healthcare provision, as well as procedure for the development and approval of a plan of a capable primary healthcare network.

Hennadii Zubko reminded that such work is being carried out in compliance with the Law “On Improving Accessibility and Quality of Healthcare Services in the Rural Areas”, that was initiated by the President of Ukraine and came into force on 31 December 2017.

“Decentralisation has been implemented in the country for the fourth year, and it envisages sectoral reforms, in particular in the healthcare sector. It is clear that along with other tasks it is necessary, first of all, to qualitatively build a primary healthcare system. At least 80% of medical references should be provided at this level, as it is in developed countries. This requires both proper staffing and modern equipment, and the ability to carry out the most widespread medical analyses. The first step is to create an appropriate network that will be accessible to every person regardless of his/her place of residence,” commented Hennadii Zubko.

The Vice Prime Minister stressed that oblasts have to begin this work without delay.

He also recalled that this year the state has allocated UAH 5 billion for the development of the primary healthcare, mainly in the rural areas that lacked sufficient attention for many years.

For information, more than 13 million Ukrainians live in rural areas. 71% of Ukrainian rural health posts have no water supply at all, 75% have no sewage, and 82% of rural outpatient clinics have no bathrooms. Previously, Hennadii Zubko noted that primary healthcare in the rural areas should be reformed as soon as possible, that quality of medical services should be close to people and have a completely different quality.