The Project supports creation of inter-rayon communal hospital corporation in Kharkivska oblast

The memorandum of understanding on implementation of EU Project “Support to secondary health care reform in Ukraine” in Blyznyuky and Lozova rayons of Kharkiv oblast was signed on 25.06.2008, based on results of recent negotiations between leading officials of Blyznyuky rayon public administration, Lozova rayon public administration, executive board of Lozova city administration of Kharkiv oblast, Central health care department of Kharkiv oblast public administration and the above mentioned EU Project.

The Memorandum considers local executive bodies and local authorities of Blyznyuky rayon, Lozova rayon and Lozova city of Kharkiv oblast support to development of an inter-rayon communal hospital corporation involving central rayon hospitals of Blyznyuky and Lozova as well as Lozova city hospital.

The Memorandum also considers management of the stated local executive bodies supporting decisions on making changes in economic and legal status of Lozova CRH and Lozova city hospital by their reorganization into communal non-profit enterprises (as was carried out with Blyznyuky CRH in 2006 preceding the decision on establishment of a corporation).

The stated hospital corporation is expected to cover 2 southern Kharkiv rayons and city of oblast significance, contribute in quality and economic performance improvement of health care services provided for the population of these administrative and territorial units via implementation of new management technologies. These technologies consider the following, in particular:

• activities aimed at improvement of resource merging;
• clear and reasonable need-oriented distribution of provision of specific health care functions for the population of the coverage area between different members of the corporation;
• transition to health care services based on public contracts, while using new financing methods for the stated health care establishments aimed at development of relevant incentives.

The Project experts consider development of inter-rayon communal non-profit hospital corporations as the first step on the way to implementation of modern European methods of efficient and effective planning for hospital network in Ukraine, based on the strategy of establishment of exterritorial hospital “okrugs”, each covering a catchment population of 100,000-200,000.

It is of high importance that the establishment and support to the operation of such hospital corporations be completely ensured within the current legal framework (Economic and Budget Code of Ukraine, laws on public procurements, etc.). It means that today, regardless of the long-awaited but still to be implemented administrative and territorial reform, there exist the necessary legal prerequisites for the implementation of secondary health care reform on local level in Ukraine (i.e. particularly the health care sector represented by general hospitals).

The Project experts developed a draft for the hospital corporation Statute. This has been already discussed with local partners and referred to them for coordination and finalization concretization in accordance with local context.

The strategy on establishment of hospital corporation, as an intermediate stage on the way to planning a hospital network within the framework  of future hospital “okrugs”, was presented and approved in total on 10.07.2008 during a workshop on the development of the national strategy for the reform of secondary health care in Ukraine held at the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and led by the Deputy Minister, Mr. Lazoryshynets V.V., who is an authorized representative of the Project beneficiary.

It is worth adding that implementation of the planning process for a hospital network, based on hospital “okrugs” establishment was taken into account while redrafting the Foundations of the Healthcare Legislation of Ukraine with active participation of experts of the Project “Support to secondary health care reform in Ukraine”. In view of the results of discussion held on 12.06.2008, the Community Council at the Ministry of Health of Ukraine recommended that high officials of the Ministry should initiate the referral of the draft to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Rudiy,
National health policy and legal
coordinator of the Project