The National Press Club entitled ‘Reforming Secondary Healthcare: Current State and Further Steps

The success of reform in the healthcare sector depends on many factors. One of them is an informed  understanding of the essence of any proposed changes, and support on behalf of  society in general. Through informing the population of the reform’s progress, and thus helping to shape  public opinion, the media are central to the process.

On June 25th 2008, the EU Project ‘Support to the Secondary Healthcare Reform in Ukraine’ organized a meeting of the National Press Club entitled ‘Reforming Secondary Healthcare: Current State and Further Steps’ on the premises of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine. The primary aim of the meeting was to increase regional and central media awareness of the issues surrounding secondary healthcare reform.

The event was attended by: Myroslava Zhdanova, Director of the Department of Healthcare Organization of the MoH; Petro Petraschenko, leading specialist of the Department of Human Resources Policy, Education and Science of the MoH; Matthew Green, Project Manager, Information and Communication&Operations Section II, Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine; Team Leader Dr. Greta Ross, Olena Novichkova, international Training expert, and Natalia Louchsheva, Ukrainian PR expert of the EU Project, and journalists of the ‘Sil’ski Visti’, “Rabochaya gazeta”, “Vashe zdorovie”, “Apteka”, “Puls”, “Natsia”, “Zelena apteka”, “Molod’ Ukrainy”, TV&Radio company “Era”, radio “Golos Kyiva” and others.

The following issues were discussed: the present state of healthcare in Ukraine and current health problems, issues concerning human resources in healthcare, and the role and objectives of the EU Project ‘Support to Secondary Healthcare in Ukraine’.

Ms. Zhdanova summarised main points regarding the current state of the healthcare sector, remarking upon the need for reorganization and new means of financing the provision of health care for the population. At present, services of the primary and secondary sector are often unnecessarily duplicated, as the available resources are utilized inefficiently, and mortality indices remain high and birth rates low. Cardiovascular and oncological disease rates are also running high.

Mr. Petraschenko expressed concern about the emigration of doctors out of Ukraine, and presented a description of the human resources situation. To quote Mr. Petraschenko, “A sufficient supply of human resources in healthcare is an urgent issue and a key to the preservation of citizens’ health and to building a healthy lifestyle. Thus, an efficient human resources policy is an important ingredient of a successful secondary healthcare reform”.

Project international expert Olena Novichkova informed the meeting of the Project’s support to the MoH in developing options for addressing the problem of human resources in healthcare. She described the different training approaches, particularly for health service managers, taking place under the project.

As the country’s healthcare system adapts to new conditions, healthcare facilities must, too, search for new solutions. The project is supporting the Oblast Health Care Departments in Kharkiv, Zhytomyr and Poltava regions. Project team leader Dr. Greta Ross outlined the project and described the development in the pilot regions of different strategic approaches to the provision of health care. One type of model will examine the establishment of hospital networks or “hospital okrugs” across 2 or more districts (rayons), with improved facility management at secondary and primary care level.

European experience shows that more efficient redistribution of health provision allows cost savings to be made locally and quality of services to be raised, as well as using staff more effectively. Current Ukrainian laws and regulations do not allow health facilities such as hospitals to be closed but can allow them to be regraded or reconfigured, and can allow them to convert to not-for-profit communal enterprises, and also allows inter-rayon hospital territorial associations to be set up which can then meet the needs of local populations more effectively. The project is supporting all three regions in their various further reform efforts.

A Memorandum of Understanding (for inter-rayonal cooperation) on the creation of an inter-district communal territorial association (“okrug”) was concluded between the Lozova and Blyzniuky districts of the Kharkiv region on 25th June.