Our task is to work out a route map with concrete steps to build a capable network of primary healthcare in rural areas. This is not an issue of a single ministry’s concern. Therefore, there should not be pilot projects in certain oblasts. We have to do it all over the country. Thus, this is the area of ​​joint responsibility of the Ministry of Health, MinRegion, local executive authorities, local self-government bodies, as beneficiaries of the healthcare reform, and family doctors, said Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, during the on-site meeting in Zhytomyr on the rural healthcare development.

According to him, due to such support and activity on the part of all participants, we will move faster on the implementation of law No 2206 on the development of accessible and high-quality healthcare in rural areas. The necessary basis for this is already worked out. MinRegion, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, has developed an appropriate methodology for the establishment of a network of primary healthcare facilities. In addition, MinRegion has already elaborated practical recommendations for the typical projects of the primary healthcare institutions. There is already a resolution on allocating subventions from the state budget to implement measures aimed at developing a system of healthcare in the rural areas.

"The state has set a clear goal – high-quality primary healthcare in the rural areas. And this, first of all, is a reduction in the number of people’s appeals to the secondary healthcare link and vanquishing of 65% of cardiovascular diseases. After all, diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, causing the highest mortality rate among our citizens, must be timely prevented, and it is the key objective of the primary link. Therefore, we do not have time for discussion. Today, we need to provide a high-quality service for 35% of people living in rural areas – not only primary healthcare of the first level, but also second-level professional consulting assistance," said Hennadii Zubko.

The Vice Prime Minister said that work has already begun with the Canadian experts of Ontario Telecommunication Network – OTN, which provide advisory assistance on the primary healthcare development: a list of services, medical equipment, information platform, etc.

"In order to move forward, we are waiting for the list of medical services that can be provided at the primary link from the Ministry of Health and an approximate list of equipment for primary healthcare institutions. The Canadian experts will give us recommendations for a communications platform to arrange communication between a specialised doctor and a family physician. And, most importantly, it's an engaging environment that should be created with the help of local self-government bodies in order to implement high-quality services," Hennadii Zubko noted.

During the meeting, the Zhytomyr, Rivne, Vinnytsia and Ternopil Oblasts presented their network projects. In turn, Lev Partskhaladze, Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, presented four projects of outpatient clinics, developed by MinRegion, as well as the algorithm and stages of implementation of the project for the construction of outpatient clinics.

"We have prepared examples of premises and this document is a technical design task. We expect that local administrations, which already have funds, use this technical task for the design and construction of the primary healthcare facilities,” emphasised Lev Partzhaladze.

Introduction of telemedicine services is also an important direction. With its help, the doctor of the village outpatient clinic will be able to receive on-line consultation in a higher-level healthcarel institution, transmit tests and results of patient's examination. The experience of providing telemedicine services, that can be used in Ukraine, was presented by the Canadian experts of the OTN, an organisation that is the largest telemedicine network in the world.