During a press conference at the UNIAN agency, Andriy Rohansky, the Chairman of the NGO “Institute of Legal Research and Strategies,” stated that medical reform in Ukraine has not achieved its intended goals. He mentioned that while the reform led to the restructuring of polyclinics and the establishment of primary medical care centers and family medicine centers, these achievements, from their perspective, are dubious and insufficient.
According to Rohansky, the reform’s original plan, which included reorganizing secondary medical care and providing economic autonomy to medical institutions, was halted in 2013 and remains unfulfilled. He highlighted that although family medicine doctors were introduced in certain regions and areas of Kyiv, who were quickly retrained from other specialties within six months, they lack sufficient qualifications, particularly in pediatrics, leading to various issues.
Maxym Ionov, a member of the Committee for Healthcare System Reform of the Public Council under the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, a doctor of emergency conditions, and the coordinator of the medical service during the Maidan protests, spoke during the press conference as well. He labeled the reform of emergency medical care as ineffective, citing projects like the “Unified 112 System” and the highly publicized but allegedly unsuccessful “Timely Assistance” National Project, both of which he claimed were not implemented effectively and did not bring substantial changes to the healthcare system.
Ionov pointed out the negative consequences of discontinuing specialized emergency medical services starting from January 1st, which included a lack of specialized care, particularly for cases like acute heart attacks and strokes.
Volunteer for palliative care, Maria Shevchenko, shared her personal experience during the press conference. She recounted a situation where, due to bureaucratic obstacles, the prescription for necessary medications for a palliative care patient suffering from cancer was only issued after intervention from a public organization. She emphasized the challenges patients face in accessing essential medications promptly.
Zola Kondur, a representative of the International Charitable Organization “Roma Women’s Fund ‘Chirikli’,” highlighted instances of discrimination against the Romani community in terms of medical care access. She emphasized the need for the inclusion of the profession of a Romani mediator in the list of occupations, which would aid people of Romani ethnicity in obtaining quality medical assistance.
Andriy Yarovoy, a representative of the Association of Participants in Substitution Maintenance Therapy in Ukraine (Kyiv), and the Eurasian Network of People Who Use Drugs, mentioned the complex situation faced by individuals participating in substitution therapy programs. He noted that the political instability in Ukraine has negatively impacted those who rely on these programs, particularly those in Crimea and eastern regions, resulting in a lack of essential medications.
During the press conference, Rohansky presented the annual report of human rights organizations titled “Human Rights in Healthcare – 2013,” which documents human rights violations, analyzes healthcare legislation, and provides recommendations to relevant authorities for improving the situation.
The annual report “Human Rights in Healthcare – 2013” was prepared by the NGO “Institute of Legal Research and Strategies,” with support from the Public Health Program of the Renaissance International Foundation.
