15 oblasts of Ukraine – the Poltava, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Rivne, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhya, Chernihiv, Volyn, and Kherson Oblasts – have already approved their draft plans for the formation of perspective primary healthcare networks. This is evidenced by the data of the Monitoring of the Process of Decentralisation of Power and Local Self-Government Reform (REVIEW) prepared by MinRegion as of 10 April 2018.

It should be mentioned that perspective primary healthcare networks are formed in compliance with the Law "On improving accessibility and quality of healthcare in rural areas". Its objective is to provide the rural population, which is more than 13 million people, with high-quality healthcare services. For this purpose, the state budget provides UAH 5 billion, which in particular will be aimed at the construction of new outpatient clinics, housing for doctors, purchase of medical equipment and office transport.

The procedure for the formation of the network of primary healthcare services is regulated by the joint Order of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services No 178/24 dated 06.02.2018.

The procedure for provision of primary healthcare is regulated by the Order of the Ministry of Health No 504 dated 19 March 2018.

Earlier, Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman stated that arrangement of hospitals and rural health posts is the responsibility of local authorities. “Hospitals belong to rayons and municipalities, and due to decentralisation these rayons have money. I demand that heads of rayons and municipalities act in the interests of citizens. Hospitals and outpatient clinics should be repaired and equipped, and people should receive decent treatment conditions.”.