Kyiv, 29.10.2004

Healthcare reform - Where and How to begin

Healthcare reform is one of the most critical social problems in Ukraine. For some years healthcare specialists, economists, politicians have been arguing on what should be done to make healthcare services quality and accessible, as well as doctor's work - highly-paid.

On 28th of October 2004 the Ministry of Health of Ukraine together with the EU Projects "Health Financing and Management in Ukraine" and "Preventive and Primary Healthcare in Ukraine, Kyiv and Selected Regions" with information support of the magazines "Nova Meditsina" ("New Medicine") and "Simeynyi Likar+" ("Family Doctor+") held a round-table conference "Healthcare Reform: Where and How to Begin". The round-table conference took place within XIII International Specialized Exhibition "Healthcare 2004".

The purpose of the discussion was to clear up how far the healthcare reform had moved ahead, to join the efforts of all those dealing with healthcare reform, and to begin constructive cooperation between different ministries and institutions to implement the healthcare reform more rapidly.

The participants of the meeting exchanged opinions concerning the healthcare reform. Representatives of the EU Project "Health Financing and Management in Ukraine" spoke about the advantages of mandatory state social health insurance and shared their views regarding the ways of carrying out the reform without adopting a relevant law. At the same time, an expert of the EU Project Preventive and Primary Healthcare in Ukraine, Kyiv and Selected Regions" spoke about the ways of improving healthcare economic efficiency and implementation mechanisms for family healthcare as one of key priorities of the current healthcare reform.

The following issues were discussed:

1. Accessible and quality health care - today's urgent demand
2. The Ministry of Health - reform strategy
3. The Law on Mandatory State Social Health Insurance - What Will It Bring and What Can be Done Without It
4. Components of the Reform: Efficiency Boost of Available Financial and Managerial Resources
5. Hindrances on the Way to Healthcare Reform
6. What Will the Healthcare Reform Give to the Patient, Doctor, and State?

Volodymyr Zagorodniy, the Deputy Minister of Healthcare, Lyudmila Pidgorna, the Head of the Department of healthcare insurance regulatory provision, Vasyl Mihkalchuk, the Head of Primary Healthcare Administration, Vitaliy Chernenko, the Head of the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Healthcare, Maternity and Childhood, representatives of the World Bank, Central Committee of the Healthcare Union, local authorities, research institutes (Valeria Lekhan, Dnipropetrovsk State Medical Academy, Nina Goida, Kyiv Medical Academy of Post-Graduate Education, Borys Rogozhyn, Khrakiv Medical Academy of Post-Graduate Education) took part in the round-table conference.

The participants of the round-table conference stated that there was a misbalance between accessibility and quality of healthcare services provided to different social layers that was leading to social tension. The healthcare reform has already begun with reorganization of primary healthcare on the ground of family medicine. Current regulatory basis in the country allows starting reforms, though it needs improvement. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine does not have enough economic and legal mechanisms for a large-scale reform of this field.

A common view was expressed as to establishing the Coordination Council on Healthcare Issues at the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

	GVG/CII/ EPOS
This project is funded by the European Union Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus 10 Kruhlo-Universytetska St, Kyiv, Ukraine, 01024 Tel: +38 (044) 462 00 10 Fax: +38 (044) 462 09 20	A project implemented by GVG/CII/ EPOS Project office Kiev 59-b, 40-letiya (sorokaletiya) Oktyabrya prospect Kiev local clinic hospital 10 Tel.: 380-44-265-32-83 380-44-257-24-42 Fax: 380- 44-257-36-76 www.healthfin.kiev.ua	This project is funded by the EUROPEAN UNION. The European Union numbers 25 Member States: 25 different nations deter-mined to shape their future closely together. Over a period of enlargement of 40 years, they have, together, built a zone of peace, stability, progress and solidarity. The European Union is a model for overcoming conflict and promoting reconciliation through close co-operation to achieve common goals, while respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity. But the EU is not focused on itself: its ambition is to share its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders. The European Commission is the EU's executive body.