The implementation of the healthcare reform and introduction of a principle “Money Follows the Patient” in terms of financing medical services have enabled to significantly increase wages of primary care physicians, announced Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman during a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health, devoted to summarising the interim results of the campaign on choosing physicians by the citizens and signing contracts between the healthcare institutions and the National Health Service.

According to the Ministry of Health, the number of citizens who signed a declaration with doctor has exceeded 14 million people. While the number of medical institutions that sign contracts with the National Health Service, which is responsible for supervision over the quality of services and, in fact, transfers funding to hospitals and each particular doctor, is approaching 500. It is also important that physicians, who already have a large number of patients, received in July a twofold wage, and sometimes threefold as compared to June. For example, a family doctor of the communal non-profit enterprise “Baltic Centre for Primary Healthcare” (Odesa Oblast) received in June about UAH 6.000, and in July – over UAH 16.000. The number of patients, who chose her as their doctor, has exceeded 1.700 people. And such cases are commonplace.

“The data is rather optimistic. The quantity of those who understand the value of change will grow. By the end of year we can reach 20 million declarations. It is almost half of the population. People will feel the new quality of the healthcare system,” urged the Prime Minister.

At that, he drew attention to the fact that it is crucial not only to understand all the principles laid down in the new healthcare provision, but also to introduce them. In this context, one cannot overestimate the role of the physician, who should be motivated to make a declaration with the patient, and the head of the hospital, who will appreciate a good specialist and promote the quality of services at his/her institution, and representatives of local authorities, who will create the conditions and opportunities for providing a quality medical assistance.

“I think this way will yield results. People will feel the new quality,” underscored Volodymyr Groysman.