The Government has made progress in reforming rural healthcare and now it is of predominant importance to shape a mechanism for interaction in synergy with local governments. This was stated by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman during a meeting dedicated to the rural healtcare reform.

“Doctors should have everything from equipment and place of living to a vehicle”, the Prime Minister emphasised.

The meeting participants presented the main spheres of development of the sector - in terms of both organising the work of doctors and providing the materials and medical instruments. A particular attention was devoted to the possibilities of transport provision.

The parties stressed that, as a result of the reform, the number of rural outpatient clinics, which at present makes up more than 3800, will not decrease. But some outpatient departments will be reconstructed, some reprofiled from outpatient clinics where only 1-2 doctors receive patients into clinics with a bigger number of profile specialists. The necessity of such reshaping will be determined by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with local authorities. Provision of service vehicles, on the proposal of the Head of Government, will be held in a centralised way.

The Prime Minister also proposed to engage local governments more actively in financing the needs of rural health facilities, especially in terms of construction and reconstruction. “If they (the regions) do not invest in it (health facilities), it means that they do not need these institutions. If funds are invested, then the responsibility for the functioning of outpatient clinics is higher”, he added.

Volodymyr Groysman also proposed to exempt water wells projects near the outpatient clinics from license fees and determine the drilling works as an element of a construction or repair project. “Drilling will provide the outpatient clinic and the village with drinking water. This is a good idea”, the Head of Government stressed.

Apart from that, Volodymyr Groysman commissioned to work out the possibility of sharing the co-financing of construction and reconstruction projects of outpatient clinics in view of providing doctors with housing.

On the instructions of the Prime Minister, all discussed decisions will be shortly submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for consideration and further approval.